1. Seeing is Believing.
Our world is (and has always been) focused on what lies before their eyes. The physical is reality. All else is conjecture and illusion. The world pushes God away because they cannot see him with their eyes. The people of Israel didn't realize that they already had a King because they couldn't see him. The Israelites only knew that God would get them out of trouble if they went to war, God would bless them with rain and crops, God would provide blessings in the midst of poverty - God became a genie. Israel was determined (whether they realized it or not) to put God in a bottle.
We often do the same thing. We go to God when we need his help in the physical. We go to God when we want to - when we feel like it. It's so easy to push God out of our day to day lives because he's not physically standing in our midst 24/7. It's easy to "dethrone" God, take that throne for ourselves, and keep God in a bottle, only opening the bottle if we need to use one of our seemingly unlimited wishes.
2. Heed the Warning.
If God warns that something is wrong or dangerous, then a wise man would heed the warning, and not chase after what God has warned against. All too often, when one decides to do something wrong, Holy Spirit then tries to convince him that his actions will not end well. However, the man doesn't listen. He goes on doing what he feels is best. Again, dethroning God, ruling ourselves, and leading ourselves into destruction.
We cannot see the whole picture like God can. That fact alone is enough to make one turn complete control over to God. Why would anyone want a king that is limited in knowledge or power when he could have a King that omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent? God used Samuel to warn the people of the cons to having a king, but the people insisted. They pressed on and on, begging that Samuel anoint a king for them. The warning ends with "The day will come when you will cry in desperation because of this king you so much want for yourselves. But don't expect God to answer." (v. 18) God was serious about his disapproval of their request. If God says "don't expect me to come running when you start crying" I would think twice about what I was getting myself into. Again, the people decided for themselves what was best.
3. Influences can muffle the call of God.
The people of Israel really wanted a king because they saw that everyone else had a king. God tried to tell them, "You have something better!" but they wouldn't listen. They continued in their delusional thinking.
God calls us to greatness, but often that greatness comes with relying on him. We look around at the greatness we can create for ourselves and decide that we don't need God. We can sit on the thrones of our lives. We can decide what is best for ourselves.
We can be so narrow-minded sometimes, seeing only what lies before our eyes and not what is coming down the road. God sees all things. God knows all things. God knows what he's calling you to and he knows that it is the best possible path you could take.
Attempt to listen to God. Give him the throne. Let God be king. In moments where you can't see where God is leading you, or if he's even leading you at all, take heart. Stay faithful. Pray and watch for God, he'll show you what he's doing when the time is right. God uses moments in our lives like yarn, weaving a massive tapestry, and every now and then he lets us see how those moments made something beautiful out of what seemed like chaos.
Trust in God. He is the King. He knows what lies ahead.
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