1 Samuel 8:6-7 -- On Authority and Ambiguity

"But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them."
1 Samuel 8:6-7


After this, Samuel warns the people about what a king will ask of the people and how things will turn out badly, but they still demand that.

I think sometimes we want an authority figure in our lives to tell us what to do and limit our choices so that things are less complicated. Missions feel like that a little bit, and schools and jobs, and I imagine the military and perhaps prison are like that as well, although of course all of these to varying degrees. Despite the negative aspects of some of those things, the structure and the guidance can help us feel grounded and safe. The Law of Moses may have been a structure of that sort as well, helping people feel safe with exacting process, but of course God doesn't stand in front of us, and he doesn't give us all the answers... we have to figure things out and learn.

And of course structure is not inherently bad. Even prison can help some people learn to arrange their own lives a little bit better, but let's be careful as with everything else, that we don't place our need for boundaries or a feeling of structure before our need for God. We do need to learn to live with some amiguity in our lives, and to find our way, even without walls.

God gives us help. Specific commandments, the iron rod (scriptures), a narrow way to walk in to get to salvation in general... but he also gives us freedom to make our own choices and a lot of flexibility with regard to *how* to do the things that he asks, and what path we want to take in how we use and express our talents, opinions, personality, etc. Today, if we feel like we need some structure, let's pray and dive into the scriptures, listening to God through the pages. Let's not reject God because we don't understand him or how to fit into the gospel. Instead, let's just do the basics for today and remember that it takes time to learn anything well enough to gain confidence, and that God can feel just as close as a king, or even a father, to us if we keep praying and practicing, building that relationship. Let's give it time, and stick with God who loves us much more than a king ever will.