God wants us to see the world in His light – shining in and through us so people come out of the world to trust Him. The only way any of us can do so is by rejecting the world and moving toward the only true KING – Jesus! We cannot lead people out of the darkness and chaos of the world when we ourselves want to be in it. Unfortunately, just like the Israelites in Samuel’s time, there are those among us abandoning God because we want to be accepted by the world. Seeking validation from the world is not the answer. We do NOT need validation from the world – we need validation from the hand of God and in order to have it we have to trust God more!
For the Israelites, part of the problem was they weren’t seeing trust in God modeled before them as Samuel had done. Samuel had been an amazing, holy and integrous leader who lived a flawless life, but unfortunately, his sons did not follow in his footsteps. In 1 Samuel 8:3, God’s Word tells us, “But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.”
So, what happened? Why didn’t Samuel’s sons trust God the way their father had? Let’s take a closer look – Samuel wasn’t around his family, so it is likely his boys didn’t see him model trusting God though he modeled it for the nation. It appears they didn’t trust God and that is exactly what they modeled for the people of Israel who, in turn, followed their lead.
So, what are you modeling? The word I received from God about trusting Him more isn’t only about you and me but all of those who are coming behind us! The greatest legacy we can leave our children and families and communities is the example of trusting God. I often tell my children my greatest assignment as their father is to make sure they trust God. The generation coming after us needs to understand trusting God is the only real and lasting way forward. May we, as we learn to trust God more, model the example to the generation after us so they may do the same for the generations to come.