MONDAY March 4, 2019
Let God Reign Over Your Life
“And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired. And take note, the Lord has set a king over you.”
1 Samuel 12:12-13
Samuel showed Israel how their priorities were all messed up. Even though Nahash, King of the Ammonites, came against the city of Jabesh, they would not submit or surrender to the leadership of God! Israel wanted God’s help, but they still did not want Him to reign over them. They did not want a theocracy; they wanted a monarchy––a king to reign over Israel. Think about how self-willed Israel had become.
Samuel let Israel know the truth. Rather than ask God to deliver them, they wanted to go to man! Israel used the arm of flesh for help––human strength––not God’s divine aid. God desired to help them in the battle, but now they received a king. Samuel wanted Israel to take note and pay close attention to his words. In getting what they wanted, King Saul was going to be harsh. When that happened, Samuel wanted them to remember exactly what they had asked for.
Yet Samuel gave the children of Israel a key to their walk with God. They needed to consistently follow after the Lord. The nation of Israel had a very inconsistent walk with God––it was like being on a roller coaster!
Many Christians have a walk with God like the children of Israel. They forget what God has done in their lives and choose to go back to their old lives––sad. How is your walk with God? Is your disobedience making your life like a roller coaster ride? Life is harsh without God––it can be all up and down. Refocus your priorities––let God reign over your life.
I [God]only wanted to remove [things] from the temple of your heart that I might reign unchallenged there.
~A.W. Tozer~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!
