1 Samuel 8:6-7 When Samuel heard their demand – “Give us a king to rule us!” – he was crushed. How awful! Samuel prayed to God. God answered Samuel, “Go ahead and do what they’re asking. They are not rejecting you. They’ve rejected me as their King.

To learn how to live, we must observe the mistakes of others and avoid repeating them.

Samuel was already old, and he had appointed his sons as judges, but his sons did not live like him. They were corrupt and took bribes. This made the people insecure and angry. They looked around and saw that other nations had kings.

When the people then went to Samuel and asked for a king too, it broke Samuel’s heart. He talked to God about it. God then said something shocking to him, “Don’t take it personally, Samuel. They’re not rejecting you, but Me as their God and Lord.”

I wonder if the Israelites realised that this was not about a change in the governance of them as a nation, but rather a change of faith. They wanted a visible king who they could see and control, rather than trusting an invisible God.

We must not make the same mistake. When we look at the world, people only trust what they see. They cannot believe in an invisible God. They would rather build their faith on things they can gather.

Our security does not lie in things, but in the presence of God, even though we cannot see Him. Our faith lies in God who is in control, who watches over us, who is our haven and who protects us from danger.

It’s not easy, because we would prefer to see. We want to know that it’s true. It is understandable, because we are only human.

But God gives us a bridge to move from here to Him, and that bridge is faith. May we strengthen our faith, so that the winds of the world do not destroy it. God is our Saviour, and He lives in us. I believe that. And that is all I can hold on to.

Prayer
Father, I believe in You. I believe that You are in me and that You prepare my path for me …

Questions
Where do I place my security – in God or in things I can see and control?
When does my faith become weak because I don’t get answers or results right away?
How can I more intentionally strengthen my trust in God?

Do this now
Today, think of one thing you rely on too much for security or peace, such as money, people, or control, and consciously give it back to God.
When you find yourself worrying about something you can’t control today, stop and simply pray, “Lord, I choose to trust You.”
Take one small step of faith today without having everything worked out, and trust that God will walk with you.