Samuel ends up in a similar situation as Eli with sons who do not follow after God. Israel asks for a king because they think a king will strengthen them as a nation. The best answer would have been for them to have God as their king, but they wanted to follow the example of the nations around them.
It is easy to fall into the trap of finding security in places other than God. We too could believe our security is found in government backed by a strong military. Maybe we find security in bank accounts, insurance policies, a well-paying job, or a good education. All of those things are good to have, but don’t take the place of reliance on God.