Sun.’s Devo - They Want a King

Read: 1 Samuel 8:1-9:27; John 6:22-42; Psalm 106:43-48; Proverbs 14:34-35 Samuel made his sons judges over Israel, but they were not like him. They took bribes and distorted justice. The elders came to Samuel and told him that they did not want his sons to rule over them when he died. They wanted Samuel to anoint a king to rule them. *** Samuel was sad to hear this, but the Lord encouraged Samuel. He reminded him that they treated him the same way, and they weren’t rejecting Samuel, they were rejecting the Lord. *** Samuel warned the people of all a king would do to them and how they and their families would be made to serve him, but they still wanted a king like other nations had. *** Kish was a Benjaminite with a son named Saul. Kish sent Saul along with his servant to find his three donkeys that had run away. Saul searched all through the land of Benjamin and then went into the land of Ephraim. They were getting far from home and Saul was afraid his father would begin to worry more about him than the donkeys. His servant realized that they were in the vicinity of Samuel, the prophet. He suggested they go ask him which way to go. He scrounged up some silver to pay the prophet. *** In the meantime, God told Samuel that he would meet a man from Benjamin at a certain time and he was the one who would rule Israel. At that appointed time, Saul met Samuel on the road and asked him where the seer was. Samuel told him he was the seer and invited Saul and his servant to eat with him and be the guest of honor. Saul was taken aback but agreed when he told him his three donkeys had been found. *** At the feast there were only 30 men present. Saul was given the best piece of meat to eat. Then Saul was given a place to sleep. Early the next morning, Samuel woke Saul up to send him on his way. He asked to speak privately to Saul. Cliff-hanger…we will find out what he said tomorrow. *** In John, Jesus had sent his disciples across the sea and then walked to them on the water. The next day, the people were on the other side of the sea looking for Jesus. They knew that he hadn’t been with the disciples in their boat. *** When they found him on the other side of the sea they questioned how he got there. Jesus told them that they followed him because he fed them, not because they were spiritually hungry. They should seek the things of God that lead to eternal life. When they asked him what the works of God were that they should be doing, he told them to believe in the one God sent to earth. Then they asked for a sign to help them believe. Jesus explained that Moses had given the people manna from heaven to eat, but now God was giving the true bread from heaven. They asked him to give them this bread continually. Jesus replied that he was the bread of life. Whoever came to him and put their trust in him would not hunger or thirst again. He will preserve them and raise them up on the last day. *** The people reasoned among themselves that Jesus came from Joseph, not from heaven. *** Lord, help us in our unbelief. May we hunger for the things of God, not of this earth.