And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the LORD your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 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 empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself.
(1 Samuel 12:19-22 ESV)
God deserves our reverence and wants our obedience. But there is more to the story. He realizes that we do sin and disobey, and He wants us to know He is ready and waiting to forgive. Once we do so, He wants us back on the path of serving Him with all our heart. That positive focus is what will keep us from turning aside towards those empty pursuits that distract us. But what really motivates us is knowing that He is pleased when we act like His people, and He will never turn His back on us.
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