So He Prayed

"But when they said,

'Give us a king to lead us,'

this displeased Samuel;

so he prayed to the LORD."

1 Samuel 8:6

He couldn't believe his ears.  After all he had done for them, a lifetime of service as their prophet and leader, all the sacrifices he had made for them, and these people had the audacity to discard the rich heritage the Lord had supplied?  I admit my sons are not fit to serve as leaders, but a king?  Are they serious?  How dare they rebuff me in such a way!  Samuel was irritated to say the least.  Have these people any loyalty?  Is there a grateful bone in their body?

When Samuel was irked by the attitude of the people, he could have done many things.  He could have given the people a piece of his mind, walked off in a huff, sought revenge, or come up with a plan to minimize the fallout from such a request and perhaps try to turn the tide in his favor.  Instead, Samuel turned to the Lord in prayer.  When he did, Samuel learned a few things.

When I make my first response when irritated, disappointed or hurt to talk to the Lord, I will also discover a few things I would otherwise never learn.

Learn God's Will

I'm sure that I am right.  The strength of my conviction is strong.  I surge forward in confidence, convinced that what I'm about to do is exactly what needs to be done.  Before I know it, my best laid plan is failing and the fallout is quite extensive.  Where did I go wrong?  I ask myself.

It's easy to think I have a good plan.  After all, it seems so right to me.  Unfortunately, my line of thinking is faulty, tainted by my sin nature and narrow in it's point-of-view.  It's no surprise, then, that my way is not the best way.  (Proverbs 14:12)

When I make my first step after hearing news that hurts me to the core, flies in the face of what I feel is proper, or disappoints me deeply, to cry out to God, I will learn at least some of the plan He has for me.  Otherwise, I'll just follow my own.

When Samuel turned to God, he was given his marching orders.  It may not have made sense to him to go ahead and give the people what they asked for, but this is what God said to do.  In the same way, when I spend time with the Lord in prayer, seeking out His will in a situation, He will show me exactly what He has prepared in advance for me to do. (Ephesians 2:10) This is why it is so important to stay connected to the Source. (John 15:4-5) Apart from Him I will never know the path He has marked out for me to follow. (Psalm 16:11, Hebrews 12:1)

So, when I am hurt by a friend's words, I can either vent to the first person I come across, or I can turn it over to the Lord.  If I do the latter, I will learn how He wants me to proceed and I can be assured that His way will bring about healing and growth.

When my rights have been violated and I can't believe the treatment I'm receiving at work, I am ready to hire a lawyer and sue.  Everyone tells me I am justified in such an action and to neglect doing so would be to let justice fail.  If I make my first step to seek the Lord, however, I will learn the way He has planned for me.  His aim is to glorify His name and purify my heart, not defend my honor.

When those involved in a ministry I've been appointed to lead suddenly drop away, my first reaction is to take it personally.  Therefore, it seems the obvious first step would be to seek reconciliation with the people I'm convinced I have offended.  If I turn to the Lord with an open heart, however, I will learn what God really wants me to do and my mind will be set at ease.

I will only find out what God wants me to do in a difficult situation if I go to Him at once.

Discover God's Mysterious Ways

If it were up to Samuel, I'm sure he would have denied the peoples' request for a king.  He could give many godly reasons why this was not a good decision, starting with the fact that God had instituted a system of government which was far different than seen in any other nation.  God sent judges to rule the land of the Israelites as His own representative, to lead them and to remind them of God's ways. (Judges 2:16-18)  Even though Samuel knew a king was not a good idea, God's plan was for Samuel to give them what they wanted.  This weary leader would have never discovered such an outlandish plan if He had not first consulted the Lord.

There is no way I can comprehend the plans God has for my life. (Jeremiah 29:11-13) My way of thinking is so different from God's!  I may think it best to follow the smooth, straight path, but He knows the most excellent way for me to travel is down the rocky road filled with potholes.  

As Isaiah prophesied to the people of Judah, revealing God's plan of punishment at the hand of the Babylonians, the prophet reminded them of His superior way of thinking.(Isaiah 55:8-9) While they may have thought they were standing on solid ground, only He knows what was needed to bring His people back in submission to Him.

Therefore, it is imperative that I seek out God's will in every situation, big and small.  If I only follow my own shallow, self-centered way of thinking, I will miss out on an opportunity to go through situations which will strengthen my faith, or tackle obstacles which will give me a bigger view of God, or endure suffering which will humble me and exalt the Lord.  Whatever the outcome, I will never know the strange and baffling path God has designed for me to follow unless I seek Him first and foremost.

I will only discover God's mysterious plan for a difficult situation if I go to Him at once.

Gain God's Perspective

From Samuel's point of view, the people's request for a king was a rejection of him as their leader.  He thought they had grown weary of his leadership and couldn't bear the thought of another prophet at the helm.  It could be he was offended by their appeal, taking it personally, as if they were rejecting his patient and gentle leadership.  He must have been taken aback, surprised by their sudden change of heart.

Once Samuel turned to the Lord, however, he discovered a new perspective and the true state of the peoples' hearts.  It was not he they were rejecting.  His leadership was not what they were refusing.  Instead, it was God's headship they no longer wanted.  This higher perspective must have given Samuel a whole new outlook.  It would have surely sobered him to realize the depth of their depravity.  Surely they don't mean to kick God Himself to the curb! he could have thought.

It's easy for me to take offense when I'm treated cruelly.  If I take it to the Lord, however, I'll learn what is beneath the behavior.  The nastiness could come from past hurts, a low opinion of oneself, or fear.  Whatever the root of the conduct, a revelation that comes from God gives me a whole new perspective, allowing me to see things in a more godly manner.  Then I can let the love of God flow to the suffering soul.

While I may naturally see the way I've been violated, I will never know the backstory unless I turn to God for His perspective.  Once I see more of the big picture, I discover that my role is only a tiny part in the larger scheme of things.  Suddenly, my rights don't seem like such a big deal in relation to God's greater plan.

Even though I am naturally offended when snubbed, turning to God with my hurts will result in my learning more than what I could have observed on my own.  As I gain more understanding, I'll be able to see how little my own easily-hurt feelings matter when considering the good that will come out of the situation.

I will only discover God's perspective of a difficult situation if I go to Him at once.

In the same way that Samuel was irritated by the people's surprise request for a king, I easily take offense when my toes are stepped on.  If I take a cue from the long-ago prophet and judge and use the disappointment as an opportunity to pray to the Lord, I will learn God's will in the situation, discover some of the mystery behind His ways, and gain a bit of His perspective.  In so doing, I will realize the importance of taking every situation, good and bad, as a chance to turn to God in prayer.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to talk to Him before I act.

When do I react before I even think about praying?

How do I let situations control me instead of turning that control over to God?