Daily Devotion for May 29, 2006

Seeking Lower Authorities

 

“Give us a king like all the other nations have.” 1 Samuel 8:5

 

To try and guess what human feeling would correspond to how God must have felt about the events described in Chapter 8 of 1 Samuel, all I can imagine is exasperation or disappointment. He might have thought something like, “Oh, mankind, you find yourself in a hole and you dig yourself in deeper!”

 

 It makes so little sense. After finding that human leadership in the limited parameters of judges to be greedy, accepting bribes and perverting justice, you turn and ask that human leadership be FURTHER exalted, given the authority of a KING!  And why?  Simply because all the other nations have it so!

 

 God instructed Samuel to give the leaders of Israel full warning of what to expect from a king: essentially enslavement and appropriation of property. Samuel told them what to expect. What was their response? They said, “Even so, we still want a king.” And so, under God’s direction, Samuel went in search of a king for Israel.

 

 If this were simply a story someone made up to illustrate a point (which it is not), it couldn’t be any clearer: it is foolishness to turn ourselves over to the authority of fellow humanity while ignoring the supreme authority who is our king – God.  Only God is our worthy King.

 

 I will probably vote in the next election. However, whatever the outcome of that election, no king will be named. My king has already found me.

 

Prayer
Dear Lord, Thank you for providing true and entirely benevolent authority for our lives. Help me to only look towards You for my life guidance!  In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

 

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Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities
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