Have you ever prayed for the right thing for the wrong reason? Would God still give it to you?

The Israelites ask God for a king. In 1 Samuel 8, the people of Israel ask Samuel, who had been their judge and leader, for a king. Now, this request is not wrong. It was God’s will from the beginning that Israel will be ruled by a human king. However, it was WHY they wanted a king that was wrong. First, they wanted to become like other nations. Second, they wanted physical security from foreign threats. (1 Sam. 8:20)

And God takes this as a rejection of Him! He said to Samuel, “…for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” (v. 7). 

So then, what would have been the right reason to ask for a king? For someone wise and humble to model and lead people closer to God. Rather than wanting to copy other nations and their security to come from a human source, God wanted them to trust Him and serve Him under a wise king who will represent Him well.

God grants their request, for it was His will to do so. But it is not with a happy heart. How much better would it have been if they asked the right thing with the right heart! This was also not the case when the Israelites in the wilderness “demanded” water and food. It was, of course, not wrong for them to want and ask for those necessities, but it was HOW they asked that was wrong. They demanded distrustingly and begrudgingly.

How are our demands to the Lord? Do we go to Him trusting His goodness and love or do we go to Him demanding what we deserve? God may grant our wish either way, but it makes an eternity of difference which way we do it, for how HIs children ask Him, trusting the loving father is entirely different from how bad employees demand the fare they don’t deserve…

PH