Be Careful What You Ask For
“Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah and said to him, ‘Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint for us a king to judge us like all the nations.’ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, ‘Give us a king to judge us.’”
—1 Samuel 8:4–6, ESV
In the passage above, Samuel had served as a judge and prophet for the people of Israel. But as he grew older, and since his sons were corrupt, the people asked him to appoint a king. What they requested, however, went against God’s design.
When Samuel took the matter to God, the Lord said, “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. According to all the deeds that they have done, from the day I brought them up out of Egypt even to this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are also doing to you. Now then, obey their voice; only you shall solemnly warn them and show them the ways of the king who shall reign over them.”
—1 Samuel 8:7–9, ESV
Here we see God’s deep disappointment—perhaps even His anger—yet He still extended mercy. He instructed Samuel to warn Israel about the consequences of having a king. The people thought life would be better under a king, like the other nations around them, but they failed to recognize how blessed they already were and how much the surrounding nations feared their God.
In the same way, we can become so focused on moving to the “next level”—praying and asking God for opportunities—that we miss the reality: God may actually be protecting us from harm we cannot see.
When Samuel warned the people, they seemed unwilling to listen. He told them:
“The king will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen and to run before his chariots. And he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your male servants and female servants and the best of your young men and your donkeys, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.”
—1 Samuel 8:11–17, ESV
In other words, the king would enslave them. Whenever we turn away from YHWH, we become deceived and make decisions that bring destruction upon ourselves and our families. Israel had rejected God, and in doing so, they allowed Satan to lead them into choices with devastating consequences. As the Lord declared:
“And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.”
—1 Samuel 8:18, ESV
I remember when I was younger, my grandmother often told me, “Be careful what you pray for.” At the time, I didn’t understand. In my mind, I was only asking God for good things. But over the years, I’ve learned that many of those prayers were selfish, self-centered, and completely out of alignment with God’s will. For example, I once prayed earnestly for a man I thought should be my husband. Today, I thank God He did not answer that prayer the way I wanted. Instead, He made me wait for the man He had chosen for me—the right one. God always knows what is best.
Key Takeaways
Do not put the Lord your God to the test; He may allow you to have what you ask for, even if it brings sorrow.
It is never greener on the other side. Trust God—He knows what is best for you.
Satan is the father of lies; don’t be deceived by temporary temptations and empty promises.
Affirmations: Matthew 10:20; Luke 24:32; Ephesians 6:19; Isaiah 55:11
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