Be Careful of What You Ask
There are moments in life when what we want feels urgent, obvious, and even reasonable. We don’t really ask for something bad, we ask for something that looks right. That’s exactly where Israel finds itself in 1 Samuel. After years of instability, the people come to Samuel with a clear demand: “Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations.” On the surface, the request makes sense. They wanted structure. Hey who doesn’t like structure right? We all want our lives to be organised and in a set pattern and protected. Someone visible who would lead them into battle and into the dailyness of their life. But God’s response to Samuel reveals something deeper: “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me as their king.”
Israel wasn’t just asking for leadership. They were asking for relief from fear.
So God gives them Saul.
Saul looks the part. He’s tall, impressive, confident everything a king should look like. Outwardly, he’s exactly what the people wanted. And at first, he even starts well. But over time, cracks begin to show. Saul grows impatient. He offers sacrifices he wasn’t supposed to. He fears people more than God. He worries about appearances, reputation, and public approval.
Saul’s failure isn’t sudden. It’s subtle.
Compromise replaces obedience.
Urgency replaces trust.
Fear begins to lead.
And while Saul is rising publicly, something quieter is happening elsewhere.
God sends Samuel to Jesse’s house. One by one, Jesse presents his sons. From the ones who are strong, capable, impressive. Samuel assumes the choice must be among them. But God stops him with a sentence that reframes everything:
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
The king God chooses isn’t standing in the room. He’s out in the fields, watching sheep. David isn’t overlooked by accident, he’s overlooked because he doesn’t fit the expectation. Even his own father doesn’t think to call him.
Here’s the contrast that matters:
Israel demanded Saul.
God prepared David.
Saul was given quickly because the people were afraid.
David was formed slowly because God was faithful.
David would be anointed privately and wait years before wearing a crown. He would learn obedience in obscurity, faithfulness in the unseen, and trust in long seasons of waiting. God wasn’t just choosing a king, He was shaping a heart.
This story resonates deeply with me because I’ve done this many times in my own life. I’ve often gone to God asking for things I felt were best for me and my family, while overlooking what He had already prepared and set aside for us. In fact, there were days when I was upset with God for not giving me what I asked for only to realize later, in hindsight, that His “no” was quietly shaping something better than I could see at the time.
This leaves us with a gentle but uncomfortable question:
Are we asking God for what looks right, or trusting Him with what He’s forming?
Sometimes what we want arrives quickly.
What God prepares takes time.
Saul represents the answer to fear.
David represents the work of formation.
And often, while we’re asking God to fix our situation immediately, He’s quietly shaping something deeper within us, something that can last.
Every prayer, share, and act of support is deeply appreciated.
