May 12

Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 8:1-22

Although it was not God's plan, the people of Israel asked Samuel to appoint a king so that they would be just like all the nations around them. God told Samuel to go ahead and do what the people wanted, but not until the people were first warned of the consequences of their request.

I am reminded here of Romans 1 where Paul writes that God's wrath is being poured out on those who reject Him by giving them over to their own selfish desires. Unfortunately the people of Israel will be impacted by this request for many generations to come as they are ruled by evil kings who are only looking out for themselves.

There are a lot of lessons for us to learn here, but probably the most important is that we need to be careful what we wish for. When we ask God for the things that the world values rather than what God values, God just might give us what we ask for and let us live with the consequences.