Morning

May 11

1 Samuel 8:6-7 ⁶But when they said, "Give us a king to lead us," this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the LORD. ⁷And the LORD told him: "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.

Samuel didn't have a good model in Eli, as far as raising children went. Samuel's own sons were like Eli's. The people asked for a king so they wouldn't be stuck with the evil sons of Samuel leading them. It is the nature of men to want a human leader they can see. We always look for a superman. We want someone visible to follow. But when man has that much power and influence, he almost always becomes corrupt. The temptation to take advantage of the situation for personal pleasure is too great. Then you have the great disappointment of all who have elevated him and proclaimed his worthiness.

The grace of God allows leaders who are worshiped to fall. That failure turns our eyes back to God. Samuel warned them that this would happen. Still they insisted on having a king. Samuel was displeased. He knew something in his spirit was saying that this was terribly wrong. God helped him understand by explaining, "It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king."

Churches and ministries, heed the heart of God. One elevated man with final say and authority is the way of man. It is a rejection of God. God has always worked through men whose hearts are after Him, not the man with the best capabilities of being a CEO. Look at the disciples Jesus chose. They were a group of equals, with the real Leader, Jesus. The church should be the same today. The most capable of being a CEO among them was Judas.

Consider: Exalting man leads to disappointment. Exalting Christ keeps us on track.