DENY DENIAL
1 Samuel 12

Knowing your God and knowing what He wants is always the best way to live life for a believer. Seeing what is good for others is not a liberty to covet. God knows the best for all of His creation and He is willing to give the best. However, when God’s creation makes a choice outside of God’s line of choice, then they line up for self destruction. The 5th commandment of God reveals that God is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). He meant what He said and He will do all that He has spoken. When God says that He is a jealous God, He does not mean that He is a slave master, but rather that He is a saving Master. This explains the reason why God will not force Himself on you in every decision or move that you take outside of His word. Are you presently moving in your own direction or in His direction? Taking steps to move in God’s direction is a sure and certain way that will give you life. However, taking step out of His direction into your own way of life is a way of death. During the terrible wilderness journey, the children of Israel experienced the hand of God and all that represented need was constantly provided far beyond and above the need (not want) of the children of Israel. After entering the Promised Land, they began to look for a king outside of the King of kings and the Lord God of deliverance and preservation. The children of Israel could not deny the denying agents, but rather they embraced it. They entered an unconscious way of provoking God into jealousy. Knowing God for who He is…a saving master not a slave master. He granted them their request. Samuel reminded the children of Israel what they were about to get into in 1Samuel 12:12, “And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the LORD your God was your king. “Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen and whom you have desired…”” At every juncture that you take your eyes away from God, you will be taken away. The children of Israel unconsciously turned their eyes away from God by looking at what Nahash king of the Ammonites represented for his people. As a result, God’s jealousy was provoked. Our God is able and He will supply all our needs if we will refuse to meet our needs outside of His hand. Ask Him for the grace to constantly deny the denying agents in your direction.

Prayer for today: Ask God to help you maintain focus only on what He wants for you to remain in the center of His divine assignment for your life.