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Open the Bible Minute

Colin Smith

When the People Asked for a King

June 9, 2026
00:00
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God Himself is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, but His people desired another king. The result was not pleasing to God and it was disastrous for Israel.

Guest (Male): Open the Bible with Colin Smith.

Colin Smith: God was Israel's king. He did everything that a king would do for His people and much more. But God's people didn't want to depend on Him alone. So the people came to the prophet Samuel and asked him to appoint a king for them.

God was not pleased. The Lord said to Samuel, "They have not rejected you; they have rejected me from being king over them." But God let them have their way, and the people suffered as a result.

God's people made a poor choice, but God is able to redeem bad decisions. There's no sin that puts you beyond the grace of God and no decision that puts you beyond the help of God.

Guest (Male): Is there someone in your life who needs to know the God of the Bible and might be open to take a journey through the Bible with you? Invite them to openthebible.org.

This transcript is provided as a written companion to the original message and may contain inaccuracies or transcription errors. For complete context and clarity, please refer to the original audio recording. Time-sensitive references or promotional details may be outdated. This material is intended for personal use and informational purposes only.

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Everyone longs for hope. Everyone needs love. And everyone needs something—or someone—to believe in. The Christian life is marked by three enduring gifts—faith, hope, and love. In this new devotional, Grow in Hope, you’ll spend 30 days discovering how to trust God’s promises, finding steady confidence and encouragement even through life’s uncertainties.

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About Open the Bible Minute

Open the Bible is the teaching ministry of Pastor Colin Smith. Our mission is to use a broad array of modern media to help people around the world meet Jesus. We do this by opening the Bible for them, helping them open the Bible themselves, and equipping them to open the Bible with others.

About Colin Smith

Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church, a thriving, multi-campus church located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, and Founder and Teaching Pastor of Open the Bible.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, he trained at the London School of Theology where he earned the degrees of Bachelor of Theology and Master of Philosophy. Before coming to the States in 1996, Colin served as senior pastor of the Enfield Evangelical Free Church in London.

He is the author of several books including Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings through the Beatitudes; Heaven, How I Got Here: The Story of the Thief on the Cross; Jonah: Navigating a God-Centered Life; The One Year Unlocking the Bible Devotional; 10 Keys for Unlocking the Bible; The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life; as well as others. His preaching ministry is shared around the world through Open the Bible.

Colin and his wife Karen reside in Arlington Heights, Ill., and have two married sons and five granddaughters.

Contact Open the Bible Minute with Colin Smith

Mailing Address
Open the Bible
P.O. Box 3454
Barrington, IL 60011
Telephone
1-877-OPEN-365