When God gives you what you want!

The Lord answered, "Listen to them and give them a king."

1 Samuel 8:22

The year I graduated with my doctorate, I wanted to treat myself with a new car. Every where I looked I saw BMWs. Everyone had one and I wanted one too so I ran to the dealership and purchased a BMW. Honey, you couldn't tell me A thing! I thought I was somebody! I was the cat's meow. I wanted that BMW and I got it. Have you ever wanted something and prayed about it, God answered with a "No, or a "not yet" or a "Wait, maybe later", and yet you kept pursuing it? 

Well let me tell you, though I loved that BMW, it was used and the maintenance, the car notes and the repairs left my pocket books looking like a barren wasteland. They were empty! But God, blessed me with just what I wanted. 

You know who else God blessed with just what they wanted? My cousins - those children of Israel. The ones that we talk about for traipsing through the wilderness for 40 years for a journey that should have been a few days. You remember them? The ones who God rescued from Pharaoh. Then they turned around and had the audacity, the unmitigated gall, to tell Moses he should have left them to die in Egyptland when times got a little rough on the journey. They are my cousins, because we are so related. The disobedience, the pride, the stiff - necked part, the worshipping of idols, we've been there. Well let me speak for myself, I've been there! 

Once the Lord delivered them and took them to the land flowing with milk and honey, rescued them and made sure that everyone knew that they were his prize possession, they turned around and asked for a king. "A" king? Did they know that they had "The" KING? Listen, not realizing what we have, will cost us what we have. But that's another blog, for another day. 

Let's get back to the account... During this time, Samuel was the priest, judge and prophet. He had two sons who were anything but upright and they were judges as well. Realizing that Samuel was getting older and approaching death, the elders of Israel got together and decided that they wanted a king. Their request upset Samuel and he prayed about it. God told him that they hadn't rejected Samuel, they had rejected Him just as they had been doing since He brought them out of Egypt. He told Samuel to let the Israelites know what having a king would mean.

The king would take their sons and daughters and make then run with his chariots, be perfumers and cooks, make weapons. He would take the best of their fields and a tenth of their grains and much more.  

But verse 19, says that the people REFUSED to listen and insisted that they have a king, like the other nations, who could go out before them and fight their battles (1 Sam 8:19). Do you realize the irony in that statement? Jehovah Nissi, our banner, was their king, but they wanted someone to go out and lead them in battle. 

God "blessed" them with a King... with many kings. Most of whom were evil and led them to Baal worship, sacrificing their children, and outright disobedience.  The holy nation of Israel, God's chosen people, the special possession of the Most High wanted to be like the other nations. Imagine That! 

Israel got exactly what they asked for - kings and problems on top of problems. There were more evil kings than good kings and the children of Israel ended divided into the Northern Kingdom and the Southern Kingdom. And both kingdoms fell to the Assyrians and Babylonians. 

God, who is omnipotent and omnipresent, knows all and sees all. He knows what's best. But in our finite wisdom, we ask for things that we can't handle or don't need. Those kings were the destruction of Israel. But even after the exile, God showed mercy and gathered his prize possession back together.  Our Father knows best. If we would pray, listen and wait on God, He really will direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-7). 

Israel didn't need a king and I didn't need a BMW, but wanting to be like the other nations and the "Jones' " quickly led to destruction and heartbreak, anxiety and ultimately their destruction. Heed the voice of the Holy Spirit when He says no, or wait a little longer. Our Father truly knows best. 

Remember to live in the Red today! You are loved and forgiven. 

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