The Heart Wants What It Wants

By Alessandra Velsor

“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.’”—1 Samuel 8:4–7 (NIV)

Imagine if the Devil disguises himself as a charming woman and promises a man—a man who’s been rejected by his peers and is blindly in love with a woman who barely notices him—seven wishes in exchange for his soul. Do you think he’ll go for it?

This is actually the plot of the movie Bedazzled starring Brendan Fraser as Elliot and Elizabeth Hurley as the Devil. Elliot signs the deal and, through all seven wishes, he realizes nothing turned out the way he expected it to. In fact, every given scenario he thought would bring him closer to the love of his life is completely ruined by the Devil. Elliot eventually regrets his choice and fights to reclaim his soul, which he does by wishing his unrequited love a good life—his selfless wish breaks his curse.

You must be wondering, “Why in the world is this story being used for today’s passage?” Well, whenever I think of Israel demanding an earthly king, I remember Bedazzled and the saying, “The heart wants what it wants,” which implies our affections win over any rational thought so extreme it can force us to make the wrong deal with the wrong person and choose to be separated from God and His good will for our lives. This saying was originated by author Emily Dickinson in a letter she wrote to console a friend whose husband went away for some time. It also served as a justification by Woody Allen to be involved in an inappropriate relationship with his 18-year-old stepdaughter, and it also happens to be a hit song by singer Selena Gomez.

Rationally speaking, Israel had every right to be upset with Samuel and his sons, and they weren’t wrong for rejecting them. At the beginning of this chapter, we learn that Samuel had appointed his sons as judges over Israel. Judges were not appointed by men, but chosen by God for a time of crisis. Unlike a king, it wasn’t a monarchy, and leadership wasn’t passed down to the next in line. As righteous as Samuel was, his sons didn’t follow his godly example and were therefore unfit for office. But Samuel overlooked their sins and was not objective when he made this decision.

However, Israel was looking for an excuse to demand a new leader and they saw this as the perfect opportunity to get what they desired the most. The problem wasn’t wanting a king—God knew this day would come (Deuteronomy 17:14–20). But notice why Israel demanded a king: Israel desired to be like “all the other nations.” (1 Samuel 8:5 NIV). This serves as a prophecy because they also choose Caesar over Jesus (John 19:15).

If our wishes are born from the flesh and our requests come only from our hearts, we must reexamine our motives before asking God for anything. God used this opportunity to teach Israel a lesson. So, He granted them with a king who was as carnal and selfish as their own wish. Because of this, we now know they suffered gravely for it.

The good news we find in Jesus is the redemption He offers us. This doesn’t mean there won’t be any consequences for our actions, but there’s always time to come around and make the right choice by submitting to His will. Unlike Elliot, we don’t have to fight for our soul because He already fought for it!

Pause: Did you know Gideon refuses the throne by saying, “I will not rule over you, nor will my son rule over you. The Lord will rule over you” (Judges 8:23 NIV). This was the heart of all the judges and why Israel went some 400 years in the Promised Land without a king.

Practice: How careful are you when you approach God in prayer? When praying, consider His will in the matter, the consequences of your actions, and the stubbornness of your own heart.

Pray: Father, this story is so hard to read because it exposes my heart and its ugly desires to sometimes do life without Your guidance. Thank You for reminding me of my own selfishness and stubbornness. Help me to expand my vision to include You daily. I’m sorry for the times I’ve chosen my idols over You and I’ve gone my own way instead of asking You which way to go. Please lead me today to make decisions that support Your will for my life. I trust You have a better story to write for my life than my own version. Amen.