1 Samuel 7 & 8: Serve The LORD Only
Verse of the Day: (7:4) Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. 

1. Serve (7:1-4)
And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. (7:3)

We can only serve one Master who is none other than the living and true God. Time and again, Israel failed God, as they doubted and disobeyed Him, and thus face His judgment and condemnation. Finally, after 20 years, God’s ark returned to Israel. God’s first prophet and priest, Samuel, challenged them to turn away from their false gods and idols, and worship and serve the LORD only. Let us indeed serve God only! (Matthew 6:24-34)
   
2. Sin (7:5-17)
And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh. (7:6)

Either we serve God only or we sin against Him. If we are God’s children we shall serve Him only. Indeed there are many Christians who seemingly serve God but are actually serving themselves. Samuel challenged Israel to confess and repent their sins, fast and pray, and offer a young lamb as burnt offering to God. God answered them with a great thunder destroying the Philistines. Indeed, let us repent our sins, and serve God only with our work of faith, labour of love and patience of hope in Him. (1 Thessalonians 1:1-10)

3. Samuel (8:1-22)
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. (8:7)

Israel asked for a king just like all the nations of the world, but Samuel rebuked them that they must look to God as their only King. However, Israel insisted on having a king, and Samuel explained to them that their king would not only take their sons as soldiers, and their daughters as cooks, but he will also take their fields as well as the tenth of all their livestock. However, Israel still insisted on having a king, and God then told Samuel that they shall surely reap the consequences of having a king. This was why subsequently God only spoke to Israel through His prophets and not kings. (Hosea 13:9-11) Indeed, let us be like Christ who was obedient to God, His Father, even in death, as He willingly left heaven to come to earth, and to live and die for the sins of the world. (Philippians 2:5-11)

Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to serve You only as You are my King and everything.