https://odb.org/2026/11/02/god-our-king
1 Samuel 8:4–9 (NIV): So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” 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.”
After praying and mulling over it, Ethan decided to turn down the offer. While there was nothing wrong with it, he knew it wouldn’t be good for him. Months later, he got another job—a day shift—that allowed him to attend church regularly. Not all decisions that seem logical are God-honoring or wise. For example, it seemed natural for the Israelites to ask for a king. The prophet Samuel’s sons weren’t fit to lead (1 Samuel 8:3), and other nations seemed to be doing well with a king (vv. 5, 20). But God warned them about trusting solely in people; only He was their true king who could protect and provide for them perfectly (vv. 7, 11-18). Still, the Israelites insisted (v. 19), leading God to tell Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king” (v. 7). Later, the Israelites would suffer under the rule of a string of evil kings. Human wisdom can lead us to rely on ourselves rather than God. His ways may be counterintuitive, but they’re truly wise and lead to good. (Leslie Koh, Our Daily Bread, 2nd November 2026)
One of the challenges we face as believers is to make wise decisions. We can pray for God to grant us wisdom like Solomon did but ultimately a wise decision in God is one that puts Him first.
I recalled three decisions that I had to make in my life that put God first. The first was my interest to join the Territorial Army (or the Army Reserve) during my varsity days. I believed that Army training would have made me a tougher person besides allowing me the opportunity to be prepared to defend my country if required. Unfortunately, the Territorial Army trains during weekends (and semester breaks) and I was busy in church during weekends. Thus there was no way I could make it work. If there was realistically only one other thing I could do as an undergraduate besides my studies, it had to be my service for the Kingdom of God.
The other decision I made also during my varsity days was that I will only have a Christian girlfriend. This all boils down to personal choice and our own circumstances but I was firm in that. Although there were opportunities for me to enter into relationships before I met my future wife, I didn’t consider them if the other party was not a believer. It so happened that after my first year I had the opportunity to move from 1st College to 4th College and at the same time, my future wife (then) prayed with her prayer partner for God to send Christian brothers into 4th College. So we met, and after a year of knowing each other, we went steady and I’m glad that we were together as we have been serving God as a couple until today. Her skills in piano, formal music training and mainline church background complemented me well as I was untrained musically, played guitar and bass and came from a pentecostal charismatic background. That was indeed my wisest decision made!
The third decision I made was not to take up an offer to interview with the Genting Group although the head hunter was confident that my profile fitted the requirements of the vacancy then very well. Same issue with the Territorial Army during my varsity days – they work on Sundays at least once a month up at the hill – management or board meetings. So if I was successful, I would need to miss church at least twice a month!
Work or career decisions should be made in light of our commitment and responsibility serving God. If it affects our ministry, we must thread carefully. That’s part of God’s wisdom bestowed upon us, His children. Even if we pray that an open door indicates God’s will, it is not necessarily so. An offer does not mean we must take it, logical as it might be in human wisdom. In the end, we must seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit and consider the offer in light of what we do for God as His servant. Our achievements in Christ count for less than our faithfulness to His calling. Always remember that our mission in life is to be a good and faithful servant of Christ! Have we been one? What will answer be when we meet our beloved Lord Jesus Christ at the Bema Seat Judgment?
