"…If you will fear the LORD and serve him and heed his voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, and if both you and the king who reigns over you will follow the LORD your God, it will be well; but if you will not heed the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you and your king. Now therefore take your stand and see this great thing that the LORD will do before your eyes. Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call upon the LORD, that he may send thunder and rain; and you shall know and see that the wickedness that you have done in the sight of the LORD is great in demanding a king for yourselves." So Samuel called upon the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

All the people said to Samuel, "Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins the evil of demanding a king for ourselves." And Samuel said to the people, "Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. For the LORD will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself…"

1 Samuel 12:14-22

People who are afraid to go to God have a problem. They may be overwhelmed by their sin, and see only God’s righteous demand for justice. They miss the loving provision of His Son’s sacrifice for sin. The people in this Bible reading were afraid because Samuel exposed their sin. But he also told them that God longed to forgive them. We need to replace irrational fears with healthy ones. God’s Word repeatedly assures us that the pain of going to Him is far less than the pain of avoiding Him.

Only God can fill the emptiness of an aching heart.

Our Daily Bread – August 6, 2004