I have been studying the books of Samuel the last 2 weeks and I find it so interesting how the things that plague the hearts of men hasn’t changed much at all. By saying men, I actually refer to both genders.

Men have remained so hungry and desirous of power and fame to the point that we’ll go to whatever length to get it. In those days, bloodshed was nothing to them, as long as power was with them. The kings of those times had people who were so committed to them that they would shed blood to defend the name of the king.

It is also similar to these times, how politicians have people who have pledged allegiance to them and defend them in word and deed.

I remember traveling back home to my state of origin in Nigeria once, as we drove past a familiar place, I noticed a number of young men in a house, they sat outside drinking and laughing loudly, the loud music and the dressing made me realise they were up to no good, so I insisted on getting answers. I asked my dad’s PA who they were and what they were doing there and He said “they are homeless young guys who were being hosted by a certain politician” He added no more and made it appear like it was a hand of charity. None of that added up, because while they looked homeless, it appeared that they were there and gathered up for a purpose.

But I did not push further. It was a week later, I overhead a conversation and heard why those young men were gathered together. They were actually thugs who had been recruited to do work for someone in power. Even as at then, my young mind could not process it fully how a man could get to that level of inhumanity to employ other men to destroy and torture other people.

Reading the Samuels helped me see further that power still looks like all the things people idolise today, from money to security to material possessions, fame, etc.

I also got to see that indeed, Power always exalts,  So anyone who had/has power had/has a tendency to exalt themselves and also be exalted.

It becomes rivalry to worship of God because God has all the power in His hands, even the one we think we have and it’s only in humility that we realise every moment of our lives that this power (in whatever form it is), belongs to God and We must use it as He leads us to.

I realised further in meditation that we might never be weaned of the love of power but we can be taught by the Holy Spirit to remind ourselves the drop our power is in the ocean of Gods overall  power. It’ll really keep us humble.