Just like everyone else

Read 1 Samuel 12:1-25

Samuel reminds the Israelites how faithful God has been in delivering them through their generations, before reiterating that asking for a king was a mistake.

• Why is it so easy to forget about God’s faithfulness and track record when we are faced with challenges in our lives?
• What can help us to remain anchored in trusting God that He will be sufficient for the challenge in front of us?

Samuel does his best to remind people that it was God, not Samuel, who the people should be trusting and paying attention to.

• How do we maintain a healthy balance of being inspired by the example of others, without having our faith relying on them?

Sometimes it is easy when we have done something wrong or unwise to pull back from God. Samuel encourages the Israelites to press on into relationship despite their bad decisions in v.20.

• What might be the reasons for this pulling back?
• What truth(s) do we need to hold onto in order to continue to press in?

How can we as individuals and as a church live out a mandate like Samuel’s in v.23 – to pray and teach what is right and good – even when we may not be ruling the nation?