May 22, Day 142 – Isn’t That A Good Thing?
- Dr. Eric Stricker
- May 22
- 3 min read
In 1 Samuel 8:1-10:8, we read that “when Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel … but his sons did not walk in his ways … they turned aside after dishonest gain, accepted bribes, and perverted justice” (verse 1-3). Here, we learn that God’s servants must exercise incredible leadership in teaching their own children to recognize, love, and serve the Lord properly. Moreover, growing up in a spiritual home is no guarantee of continuing spirituality. Every new generation must be won to Christ. Clearly, Samuel’s sons had a godly heritage and probably had every advantage as they grew up under their father's authority. However, the elders of Israel recognized that Samuel’s sons “did not walk in his ways” (verse 3). How heartbreaking this must have been for Samuel! We can teach our children all about how to follow Christ, but we cannot force them to do so. The elders said, “Give us a king” (verse 6) which “displeased Samuel” (verse 6). However, God pointed out to Samuel that he was not the object of their rejection – they were rejecting God (verse 7). This reveals another lesson we should learn – we need to be extremely careful about the things we pray for … indeed, God may give us what we want, but what we want may not be good for us. God gave the people of Israel the king they demanded, but in the end, Israel’s kings led the nation away into exile. Most of their kings proved largely to be unsavory, unsatisfactory, and unspiritual leaders. They were authoritarian, selfish, and harmful to the nation. Whenever we pray, we need to ask first and foremost for the will of God, and we need to subordinate our own desires to God and His will. In chapters 9-10, Samuel anoints Saul who is looking for his father’s lost donkeys. Interestingly, after a fruitless search, Saul says “let’s go back,” but meaningfully, Saul’s servant suggests consulting “the man of God” (verses 5-6). In chapter 10, after Samuel rebukes the Israelites for rejecting God, Saul is made king, and although Saul’s reputation is already somewhat questionable (cf., verses 11-13; 22; and 27), he begins the kingdom in Israel with the blessings of God and of Samuel (verse 24).
Psalm 65 reminds us how God is good – He ... "hears our prayers” (verse 2). ... “forgives our transgressions” (verse 3); ... “fills us with good things” (verse 4); and ... “is our Savior and the hope of … all the earth” (verse 5). He “stills the turmoil of the nations” (verse 7); and, among other things, “He enriches the land abundantly” (verse 9). This Psalm tells us how God demonstrates His goodness to all His creation, including to us, His creatures. We need to read this Psalm often and allow it to remind us frequently of God’s goodness to us.
In John 12:12-36, we read about Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. John’s main purpose here is to show us how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies that were written about Him, even though the people misunderstood His entrance. John writes in verse 16 that the disciples themselves “did not understand all this until after Jesus was glorified.” This truth reveals how short-sighted we humans are about the Scriptures – we forget what we read so easily and quickly. Thus, we are no different from “the crowds” (verses 12 and 17). The crowds “went out to meet Him” because of “His miraculous signs” (verse 18). Of course, the Pharisees are jealous about this widespread attention and complain, “the whole world has gone after Him” (verse 19). Isn’t that a good thing? He came into the world for the whole world, and we could only pray and wish that the whole world would open its heart and go after Him! In verses 20-36, Jesus says that His “hour has come,” (verse 23), and his subsequent words about his forthcoming crucifixion were certified by “a voice from heaven” (verse 28), indicating God’s approval of all that Jesus said. In verse 36, we read that, after speaking these words, Jesus departed from the crowds and “hid Himself.” Too often and too easily, crowds become unruly mobs.
Comments