The Old Testament is full of examples of God allowing people to go their own way despite the potential pitfalls the path presented. One obvious example is the Israelites’ desire for a king to lead them against the prophet Samuel’s directives which were directly from God. The result? Saul was a disastrous first king of Israel, a man whose life devolved into despotism towards the end.
At the conclusion of the book of Judges, the author pointed out the danger of having no leader. People naturally fell into destructive patterns of behavior. Ironically, only a few chapters later, Samuel pleaded with the people not to fall for the false notion that a human king would lead them any better than they could themselves. What they really needed was to allow God to lead them through his prophets and priests.
So, what about us today? Would our nations really be better off without earthly leaders? To answer that question we need to understand that God is now working directly with his people, Christ followers who are part of the new covenant of God’s kingdom.
Acknowledging that truth helps us see that, realistically, we still struggle with the same issues as the ancient Israelites. We want to be our own kings, to take control of our lives as if we somehow know better than Almighty God. How ridiculous that must sound to God, just as it did 3000 years ago.
God, I surrender my life to you. I recognize how futile it is to think that I know better than you when it comes to my choices and decisions. Help me choose your leadership over my life each day. Be my king, King Jesus.
Throughout This Day: Take time to call on God whenever you find yourself about to make significant decisions.