But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king. They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to Me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning Me and worshiping other gods. 1 Samuel 8:7-8
There is nothing much more painful than being fired from a job. A person feels hurt and rejected and that he is not quite good enough. Sometimes a person deserves to be fired because he is not fulfilling his responsibilities or is not doing his job correctly, but frequently a person is fired without legitimate cause.
Samuel felt that he was being fired as the judge and prophet of Israel. The people did not want him to lead them any longer. They wanted a king to lead them so they could be like other nations that had a king. A change in leadership was what they wanted. Doesn’t that sound like the political system in the United States? It seems that no matter who the elected official may be, there is always a group that wants a change. They want someone else to lead.
God affirmed Samuel and told him that the people were rejecting Him rather than Samuel. The people were rejecting God as their king. No matter how much God loved them, protected them, and provided for them, the Israelites seemed bent on following other gods and rejecting the one true God.
Challenge: How have you rejected God by your actions? Instead of rejecting and abandoning God, make Him the “King” of your life. Let Him rule in every area of your life. He will show you the right way to live so you can minister to others and bring honor and glory to Him.