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.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “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.”
1 Samuel 8:4–7, ESV
God wants to be the only King in your lives. In the United States, we don’t have kings, so it may not be relatable in the same way, but the principle is the same. Sadly, we see there are those that look to the President of the United States in a similar way. You will see those who like the current president and those who don’t, no matter who is in office. The divides rise as each party takes power, and the reality of the situation is regardless of party, they are all broken and sinful people. God doesn’t desire for us to find our hope in a person, whether he or she be a politician, a religious leader, or a monarch. God desires us to place our devotion in one, and that is Himself – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the only man to have walked the earth sinless. Our hope and devotion are not meant to be divided, with a portion of our living devoted to God and a portion devoted to everything else. Our hearts are not meant to be duplicitous. We are meant to be devoted to the Word and seek to keep His rule in our lives. God appointed judges to help with this, but they were sinful and had limited lifespans. If people were faithful, then there would have been no need for a judge, but sadly our nature is not so. So, the people call for a king. A king will make all things right, and we can be like every other nation. God wanted to set the people of Israel apart, and He desires that still for us. We are not to be ruled by anything other than God. No political party or different faction can fulfill what God calls us to be, but our focus is meant to be on Him alone. Sadly, our hearts are easily distracted. This is why He sent His Son, Jesus the Christ to redeem us all. In our living, He is meant to be the only King, and we are to live guided by His rule alone.
Let us pray. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, your dear Son, that you have kept me this night from all harm and danger, and I ask you to protect me this day also from sin and every evil, that in all I do today, I may please you. For into your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all that is mine. Let your holy angel watch over me, that the wicked foe have no power over me. Amen.