A pre-election pondering....a cautionary tale.

In my quiet time this morning, I was praying for the election, like many people in the world at the moment.
And I thought of my brothers and sisters in Christ all over the country...
also, praying for the election.
And I thought- so if we're praying different things, how does that work?

I am sure there are people all over the place, praying that Trump will be president.

And I KNOW there are people all over the place, praying that he won't. (I am one of these)

I wrapped up my prayer and went back to my Advent reading (because I need a little Christmas, right this very minute- in the immortal words of Auntie Mame)

And all of a sudden, a name popped into my head.

SAUL.  

Remember him?
From the old testament?
Tried to kill David?  That dude?
Yeah.  Him.
I can't stop thinking about it, it feels like a warning.  So- I looked it up- and this is what I found.
If you want to see the rest of Saul's "delightful" shenanigans- you can look in first and second Samuel.

But when they said, "give us a king to lead us,"

this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.

And the Lord told him:

"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.

As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt 

until this day, 

forsaking Me and serving other gods,

so they are doing to you.

Now listen to them;

but warn them solemnly and let them know 

what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.

Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people 

who were asking him for a king.

He said, 

"This is what the king who will reign over you 

will claim as his rights:

He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses,

and they will run in front of his chariots.

Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands

and commanders of fifties, 

and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, 

and still others to make weapons of war

and equipment for his chariots.

He will take your daughters to be perfumers

and cooks and bakers.

He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves

and give them to his attendants.

He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage

and give it to his officials and attendants.

your male and female servants and the best of your cattle

and donkeys he will take for his own use.

He will take a tenth of your flocks, 

and you yourselves will become his slaves.

When that day comes,

you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, 

but the Lord will not answer you in that day.

But the people refused to listen to Samuel.

"No!" they said.
"We want a king over us.

Then we will be like all the other nations,

with a king to lead us and to go out 

before us and fight our battles."

When Samuel heard all that the people said,

he repeated it before the Lord.

The Lord answered,

"Listen to them and give them a king."

1 Samuel 8: 6-22

Just gonna leave that there.

Be careful what you pray for, you just might get it.