We Want More Samuel

...Picking up in chapter eight of First Samuel....

Samuel was very upset that the people were rejecting him as their God-appointed judge. They were begging for a king like the other countries had. It was a "Greener on the other side" complex. Nothing was going downhill in Israel, so why did they covet another style? Samuel did not enjoy watching their discontent hearts. I'm sure he was feeling like a failure though he'd done nothing wrong. But God comforted him by saying, "It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king" (8:7).

Have we rejected God by rejecting His leaders? As students? As Americans? As Christians? There are many great leaders today, just like Samuel, but are we letting them lead? Or are we constantly looking for a new leader? And in that searching, are we begging for something that we don't even know we are getting ourselves into? We are a world that focuses on leadership abilities, but are our follower qualities also in check?

This verse is a teaser for the outcome: "The wicked are edgy with guilt, ready to run off, even when no one's after them; Honest people are relaxed and confident, bold as lions. When the country is in chaos, everybody has a plan to fix it-- but it takes a leader of real understanding to straighten things out." Proverbs 28:1-2 MSG