But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you

 1 Samuel 12:13-25

And you will realize what an evil thing you did in the eyes of the Lord when you asked for a king.”

Then Samuel called on the Lord, and that same day the Lord sent thunder and rain. So all the people stood in awe of the Lord and of Samuel.

The people all said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.”

 “Do not be afraid,” Samuel replied. “You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols.

For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish.”

Why?

Samuel let people know they had sinned under the evil of asking for a king, by the sign of thunder and rain on that day of the harvest season.

Samuel is the son of the Lord, a servant of the Lord, so Samuel can speak to the Lord directly.

Surviving way is to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all our hearts.

For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, so as we are chosen from many to be sons of the Lord.

How?

Let my heart fear the Lord, serve him faithfully with all my heart, and consider what great things he has done for us. Praise to the Lord.