SAY WHAT? (What is the passage saying?)
- This chapter features Samuel's farewell speech to the people he has been leading.
- He recounts a brief history of their ancestors and some of the mistakes they made when they made things other than God the most important priority in their lives.
- Samuel chastises the people for valuing a king more than they value God. It's not a bad thing to follow a king or leader, but Samuel explains that it is a huge problem to follow or desire a king more than the people follow or desire God.
- The people realize that they have started to drift away from God. This chapter ends with Samuel urging the people to turn back to God and serve him with all their heart. If they do this, he explains, God will still be faithful to them.
SO WHAT? (What are the underlying principles?)
- Nothing in our lives can take priority over God.
- We need to be vigilant against anything that tempts us to fall away from God and living life with him. Some of these things are obviously bad, but many are seen as good or ideal by our society. (For instance, climbing the corporate ladder and trying to make as much money as possible is encouraged by many people, but to make money a more important pursuit than our pursuit of God is a sin and a huge problem.)
NOW WHAT? (How will you personally apply this passage?)
- Have you put something ahead of God? Is there a secret sin you invest more time in than you invest in the Bible or talking to God? Or is there a good thing (like trying to provide for your family) that you are valuing more than you value loving God? Talk to God about it. Ask him to forgive you and guide you to living a life that has him exclusively in the center of everything you do.