Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 9:22, Now Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and had them sit in the place of honor among those who were invited; there were about thirty persons.
Here we see the servant of God who led Israel for so many years, now passing the baton to the first king of Israel, who would now be their leader. Samuel’s actions toward Saul are an example of what our attitude and actions should be toward our leaders today. Let us not forget that Samuel was not happy that the people rejected his leadership because of his sons’ behavior (1 Samuel 8). Samuel was displeased with their choice to have a king rule over them. Yet, here, we see him honor the man that God had chosen to lead his people. Rather than allow his displeasure to overrule his duty to God, Samuel chose to honor the man that God put in place to rule Israel. This is something that we, today, must be mindful of. What I am about to say might displease you as the reader, but it is God’s truth, not mine. I see far too many Christians “jump on the bandwagon”, insulting our country’s leaders on social media, and carrying on like the unsaved. Do we have a right to disagree or be angry with the decisions our leaders make? Of course we do. Do we have a right to sin as a result of how we feel? No, we do not. Ephesians 4:26 plainly says, “Be angry and do not sin.” It also goes on to say that if we do, we give place to the devil. Samuel could have begrudgingly broken the news to Saul, but chose to honor him with the honor due a king. Rather than waste time bad-mouthing our leaders, why not use that time to pray for them? 1 Timothy 2:1-4 tells us, “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Peter 2:13-17 also says, “Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, 14 or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men— 16 as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. 17 Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” Romans 13:1 clearly tells us that it is God who appoints leaders. It reads, “Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Has He allowed evil rulers to rule His people? Yes, He has. Will He allow corrupt leaders to lead our nations? Yes, He will. Before we get all twisted up about that, let us first step back and see what part we have played in that. Israel’s first king, Saul, was not a king after God’s own heart. As we read Saul’s story, we see that God was not a priority in his life or reign. The king God gave Israel was a king whose heart was like Israel’s heart toward Him. Before we point a finger at God for allowing corrupt leaders to lead our countries, I want to ask the following: “How long has it been since God was allowed in our schools?” “How long has it been since God was the center of our justice system?” “When was the last time we voted, as a country, for men and women who stood for godly principles?” Man does everything he/she can to try and remove God from every aspect of life, then complain when in return we get evil and corrupt leaders. We as Christians, instead of steadfastly praying for our country and leaders, go along with the world, hurling insults and participating in the social media foolishness, as if that will solve the problem. Satan does a good job at keeping us distracted so that we do not take the path that will accomplish the most…praying for our leaders. If those leaders make decisions that make them our enemies and the enemies of God, are we not supposed to still pray for them? In Matthew 5:43-45 Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” Things in our nations could turn around if we, as Christians, actually lived for the Lord, by serving Him faithfully, doing our homework and actually voting for men and women who stood for something that was right. More importantly, we need to come together as the church, to earnestly and honestly pray for our nation and its leaders, and trust God for the outcome.
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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