BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU ASK FOR

Acts
13:20b-21a

"After this, God gave them judges until the time
of Samuel the prophet. Then the people asked for a king..."

Initially God was "King" of the Israelites, and gave them judges to deal with administrative matters and to lead wars. However the people were not satisfied with judges and wanted a king to lead them like all of the other nations around them. As the people expressed this to Samuel, the Lord said to him in 1 Samuel 8:7-9, "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do." God is saying, "I will not make you serve me, that is your choice. If you want a king I will give you a king, but be careful what you ask for you might just get it."

When my daughter Rebecca was old enough to get her "learner's permit" she thought she already knew everything there was to know about driving a car. I tried to go through the basics with her, but she wanted to get on the freeway and go fast, so I let her. On that fateful day weentered the freeway at Junipera Serra, heading southbound. The traffic was relatively heavy, but the onramp was long, and as Rebecca sped up to match her speed with the pace of traffic it seemed for a moment that we were going to be okay, until she realized that no one was going to let her onto the freeway (don't we have the most polite drivers in Southern California). The onramp began to narrow and the wall to our right loomed 35 feet above us, yet there was still no gap in the traffic. In near panic Rebecca finally screamed, "Dad help!" as she took her hands from the wheel and covered her eyes.

So it is with us. We think we know what is best for us despite the Lord's instruction to the contrary, so He let's us do things our own way. Funny that thousands of years later we still haven't learned this basic lesson of "Our heavenly Father always knows best." Rebecca and I avoided a disaster that day because she relinquished control of the car back to me(her earthly father), but only after running into a serious problem. The Israelites got what they asked for: an earthly king but were they better off? What about you, what about me, what about us? Who is our king? Who is in control? When am I better off: with me in control or the Lord?

If you want to know who is really in control of your life think back to the last major decision (job to take, house or car to buy, woman to marry, etc.) and minor decision (movie to watch, friends to associate with, etc.)you made. Did you look to God's Word for truth. Did you consult the Lord for wisdom? Did you see the advice of other godly men and women? You know in your heart whether or not a decision you make is pleasing or in conformity with the Lord's will, so don't kid yourself. Who do you want in control, you or the Lord? What will it take to get the Lord back in control of your life -- a disaster, an emergency or will you make a mature decision?

pocketpower.org