“Why did the Lord bring defeat on us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lord’s covenant from Shiloh, so that he may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

 The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.

Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When Israel’s god dealt harshly with them, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?

Then all the people of Israel turned back to the Lord. 3So Samuel said to all the Israelites, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the Lord and serve him only,

He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. 2The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. 3But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.

“Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 

But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. 20Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

Lord God my Father,

Keep my faith in your design and not my questions. Help me to live by your peace, not my desires. I want you to be my only God and trust in your plan. Restore your kingdom in my life, family, church and country. Expose those who do not follow your way and remove them from power. Lead us by your power, alive and all around us. Protect us from becoming like the other nations but stand firm in your power and grace.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen