Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
What Samuel is doing here is a big deal. He's giving his final address to Israel. He had been their leader for decades. He had been one of their prophets. In his old age, the people decided that they no longer wanted him as leader. They wanted a king. I'm sure he felt rejected. He had been rejected by the people. More importantly, God had been rejected. They wanted a human king and not God as their King.
A Model of How God Is with Us
There's a model here of how God is with us, and it's how Samuel was with the people. That is that he did not respond with anger or bitterness. He could have—we might expect him to. Rather, he gives the people an encouragement. He gives them an exhortation. It's three things in this verse:
He says, "Fear the LORD, faithfully serve Him.” Then this is the ground beneath that: "Think of all"—or remember—"the wonderful things He has done for you."
That's a command He gives them. He commands them to think about something. He commands them to remember something. The Bible does this a lot—to remember what God has done. Because God's work in our life is the foundation for everything.
Why Should We Fear and Serve God?
Why should they fear God? Because God has shown Himself as powerful. Why should they serve Him? Why should they worship Him? Because God has been unendingly good to them.
This is the pattern you see in Scripture. The Israelites remembered the Exodus and it fueled their obedience of God. Or we read in the psalms that they would remember God's deliverance and it would fuel their praise. It would fuel their worship. We do the same thing because we are a forgetful people. We need to go to God's Word and to remind ourselves of who He is and what He has done. This produces gratitude in our heart that leads to praising Him, fearing Him, and serving Him.
Gratitude Produces Loyalty
The commentator Matthew Henry wrote: "They were bound in gratitude to serve God, considering what great things He had done for them."
I want you to imagine that someone has saved your life in a dramatic way. Let's say they pulled you out of a burning car. You would not do good to them grudgingly, and you would not look to serve them with reluctance. You wouldn't see them as some kind of tyrant in your life. You would remember what they did. Your heart would well up with gratitude, and you would feel a sense of loyalty to them. You would want to do good to them and for them.
That is exactly what Samuel is calling Israel to do—to consider the works of God, to think about the works of God, to remember His works and to fear Him and to serve Him faithfully.
What Great Things Has God Done?
Ask yourself today: What great things has God done for you? They are numerous. What are the great things that God has done for you? Have you thought about that lately? Have you remembered them lately?
Before you resolve to do better—because we're all very good at that—before you resolve to do better, why not start by remembering better what God has done?
