21When Samuel heard all that the people said, he repeated it before the Lord. 22The Lord answered, “Listen to them and give them a king.”
Then Samuel said to the Israelites, “Everyone go back to your own town.”
Samuel had spent his whole life serving the Lord, and in turn serving the Israelites. He must have been heart broken when he told them what the Lord had said about appointing a King, and they refused to listen.
We can understand this feeling all to well. We can love someone. Encourage them. Pray for them. But in the end the decision is theirs.
It can be painful to watch the suffering, and yes, even aggravating loving them through the consequences. But thankfully, God never gets tired of loving us through our consequences.
Lord, Thank You that You love me through my consequences everytime. Thank You for the Holy Spirit who speaks to me just as Samuel spoke to the Israelites. I pray for wisdom to make choices that are pleasing to you.