Today’s Reading 1 Samuel 4-8
Focal Scripture: 1 Samuel 8 19-20 “The people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We must have a king over us. Then we’ll be like all the other nations: our king will judge us, go out before us, and fight our battles.”
To often people look around them and want to be like others. This can happen to people and this can happen to nations. Wanting to be like others shows a lack of initiative. It shows a lack of confidence in how God has created you to live. It also shows an unwillingness to embrace being different. Even though most people say that want things to be different they really don’t like change. Just the thought of change excites them. I can tell you from experience that people are all about the talk that comes from change but when you do things differently they demand you go back to how things were. I even had a person yell at me once and ask me “Why do you have do be and do things different?” I wanted to respond but knew that their closed way of thinking would never understand.
In today’s reading the Ark was taken by the Philistines after a battle. This was allowed to happen because the Israelites treated it as a good luck charm instead of a Holy artifact. While the Philistines had the Ark they experienced trouble and plagues. They quickly got rid of it from their presence. Then Eli died and Samuel was getting older. Samuel’s sons were acting in evil manner and were not fit to lead the people in any fashion. So the Israelites asked to have a king like everyone else. One who would fight for them, judge them and go out before them. This is a problem because God was supposed to be in that role. They were now wanting to go from being God lead to man lead. The Israelites were witness to many nations that were lead in this manner and it always lead to destruction. The desire to be like others can be devastating. Especially for believers.
I am not saying you can’t learn from others or even apply certain traits that are biblical. I am also not saying that you can’t see success and want to figure out how that happens. What I am saying, is that you should not try to be someone else that God has not designed or planned for you to become. Our example is Christ and we should follow him.
Far too often people want to copy others in every way and in doing so lose themselves. They miss out on being used how God designed them. I have experienced this in my own life. If you don’t think or act like the majority people get incensed with you, wand to destroy you and will even speak all types of evil about you. They will find ways to attack you or discredit you. Worse yet they will try to demean you because you dare to think differently.
The application of today’s reading is to encourage you that not being like others can be a very good thing. Especially when God has sent you on your path. The nation of Israel knew this truth and yet they didn’t apply it to their lives. Lets not make the same mistake in our journey.
We need to rejoice in following God more than emulating others.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 1 Samuel 9-12
