January 27, 2024

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 9-12
Meditation Verse: 12:14

Thought

It is interesting that Samuel places responsibility for walking in God's ways in the hands of the people, not the king. They chose to have a king, and the king would walk with God if they walked with God. It was not the case that the king would make them walk with God, though that seems to be the way of things. When the king loved God, then the people walked in God's ways, but when the king did evil, the people gladly followed them. But Samuel says that it will be the other way around, the king would reflect the hearts of the people.

Application

If Samuel is correct, then our leaders reflect the heart of the nation at large. A bad ruler turns the hearts of the people to repentance, hopefully, and in turn brings about a better ruler. A better ruler leads the people into prosperity and then the people forget the Lord, and God sends them an unrighteous ruler to humble them. That makes sense, and seems most clear in the book of the Judges, but perhaps not as clear from the rest of the historical record. But one thing is sure, it is not up to the king to turn my heart to the Lord, but it is my responsibility whether I follow the Lord or not. So I can't wait for others to lead the way, I need to be first in seeking and following the Lord.