1 SAMUEL 8
It is possible to be faithful in ministry and yet close your life in disappointment. That is what happened to Samuel.
He was disappointed in his sons. They were not able to carry on their father’s ministry because they did not follow their father’s godly example. Eli’s sons yielded to the lusts of the flesh (1 Sam. 2:12–17), while Samuel’s sons were lovers of money.
He was disappointed in the nation, for they wanted a king. They used Samuel’s sons as their excuse, but the real reason was their lack of faith in God. They wanted to be like the other nations and have a king lead them out to battle. Samuel’s warnings about what the king would do made no impression on the people. Note the repetition of the phrase “he will take.”
He was disappointed in King Saul who rebelled against God and forfeited the crown. Much that Samuel worked for and prayed for seems to have turned out differently from what he expected, and yet he remained faithful to the Lord to the end. Leaders who are faithful to God may not always appear successful to men.