Be Careful What You Ask For!

 Ever see something in a magazine and in awe think “Wow that’s nice, would love one of those!” Then as time goes on, you begin to see that same item all over the place, in the shopping malls, in the display windows, in cars as they drive by, every channel on TV declares this is a MUST HAVE and NOW your neighbor has one! OH the injustice of it all! “I want one too!” Before you know, to have one ~ consumes you.

As Ecclesiastes says, “…there is nothing new under the sun.” The nation of Israel too found themselves wanting. In 1 Samuel chapter 8, I paraphrase: The prophet Samuel was getting old, the Israelites were ready for something ‘new’. They observed around them that the other nations had a ‘king’ – “WE WANT ONE TOO!” ( grumble, grumble – whine, whine!). Not at all pleased with this . ‘Give us a king to lead us’  demand (v.6). Samuel went to the Lord. God assured Sam, that the Israelites were not rejecting him, but God Himself as King! So, God says give them what they want, BUT, give them the disclaimers of getting what you want, (yes, there is always ‘fine print’). Verse 9, “but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.”

Let’s think on this for a moment, we want something because others have it… hm… do we even consider, does what they have make them happy – are they fulfilled by it? Does that high tech gadget bring them satisfaction? I am sure if the Israelites were to REALLY examine the other nations closely, that having a ‘king’ was not all what it was cracked up to be.

Samuel proceeds to tell the people, if you get a king, this is what will happen; you will become enslaved to him. What was yours now becomes his. This reign of a new king will affect you AND your family. He will rule you. Samuel basically then tells them, there will come a time when you will be sorry you asked for this.

EVEN with this being said, knowing the negative affects of this choice, they still demand a king. “No”, they said, “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations.” (verse, 19,20).

Are the Israelites suppose to be like all the other nations? NO! Are we to be like the rest of the world? NO! Oh there is nothing wrong with wanting things, position, a title, even wanting more, or something new. But do we consider the cost of getting it? Will what we want begin to ‘rule’ us?

The demand for a king began a roller coaster ride for the Israelites. Samuel did anoint a king for Israel, Saul was the first. Then history was set in motion, some good, some NOT, those who loved the Lord, and those who “Did evil in the sight of the Lord.” We never know, how one demand to have, can change the course of our future forever.

Can the Lord redeem unhealthy (stupid) demands, O YES! I am all over redemption from poor choices! GO GOD!

Be careful for what you ask for, what you think you must have, just because it appears the rest of the world has it. And if given to you, it may seem great and fitting for a short time, but then it has the potential to fall apart, lose it’s strength and turn out to not be such a grand idea.

In Him, DeDe (Ps. 92:4 “You thrill me, LORD…”)