Kicking against authority?

‘That was a foolish thing to do,’ Samuel answered. ‘You have not obeyed the command the LORD your God gave you. If you had obeyed, he would have let you and your descendants rule over Israel for ever. But now your rule will not continue. Because you have disobeyed him, the LORD will find the kind of man he wants and make him ruler of his people.’ (verses 13,14)

Read 1 Samuel 13:5-14

Someone has said, ‘Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’. It is true, isn’t it? It is especially true when we are desperate. In desperate situations it is very easy to overstep our authority. It is easy to take matters into our own hands and do what we think is best.

Saul overstepped his authority. He was called to be king, not priest or prophet. His fate was sealed the moment he overstepped his God-given authority to care for and lead his people. He thought his role was more than that. It wasn’t. Samuel the ‘king-maker’ now has the God-given authority to be the ‘king-breaker’.

You have Christ’s authority to bear witness in word and deed to the grace of God given to you by him. This is his great gift and your challenging responsibility only done with his authority and strength. There is no need to kick against his authority. You are free to enjoy it.

Heavenly Father, give me a humble and submissive servant-heart today, so that I may faithfully witness to your forgiveness to the people you send my way. Amen.

by Adrian Kitson, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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