Day 5: Be Careful What You Ask For, You Just Might Get It!

1 Samuel 8:5 (NIV): “They said to him, ‘You are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.”

Space is of a premium on a ship of five thousand, as you can well imagine. Thus to have one’s own room is a premium for those who are of higher rank. As the old saying goes, rank has its privileges. Even when blessed with single accommodations, some people remain dissatisfied. Count me in that number. Displeased with my single-person stateroom, I constantly needled the ship’s supply officer about getting better quarters. My complaint was about head facilities. (A head is the ship term for a toilet. It comes from the early ships at sea, where the toilets were located in the front of the ships so that when the waves crashed into the bows, they would wash away the waste from the toilets.) As a department head, I had a single room, but I shared toilet facilities with about forty men. This one flaw bothered me, even though my room was always cool and was away from foot traffic and the noise of flight operations.

The supply officer finally found another room for me. I could now share facilities with just one other officer. How happy I was! Moving on up, I made the many trips to my new quarters, joyous that my wish had been granted. My joy was short-lived. The room I received was extremely close to the flight deck and the takeoffs and landings were deafening. (Landings on ship are just as loud as takeoffs, because the planes must apply full throttle just in case they miss the trap wire and have to touch and go.) It wasn’t long before I was wishing for my old accommodations. The Israelites would have understood my experience. They wanted a king, like they saw others nations enjoying. Having been granted their request to have a king, they soon regretted their actions.

God help me to find satisfaction in what you initially—for me—provide,
All I need is found in you and in the psalmist secret place I can hide.
When I consider others and mistake their lot as something for me to secure,
Prevent me from moving too fast and experiencing the pain the impetuous endure.

Questions to Consider:

• Have I moved too fast and moved out of God’s will?
• What are the signs and dangers of moving too fast?

Reflection for the Day:

• Consider the joy of being directed by God. Reflect on the inverse.