This chapter introduces Saul and describes his initial calling to be king.
“Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, ‘Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.’ …but they did not find them… But [Saul’s servant] said to him, ‘Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.’ When Samuel saw Saul, the Lord told him, ‘Here is the man of whom I spoke to you! He it is who shall restrain my people.’ Then Saul approached Samuel in the gate… Samuel answered Saul, ‘I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for today you shall eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is on your mind. As for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not set your mind on them, for they have been found. And for whom is all that is desirable in Israel? Is it not for you and for all your father’s house?’ ” (v3-4,6,17-20 abr)
God arranges a meeting between Saul and Samuel by having Saul’s donkeys wander off. On his quest to find the donkeys, Saul seeks out Samuel, hoping that Samuel can tell him where to look. However, God had already told Samuel about Saul and his predestined kingship. So Samuel places Saul at the head of a banquet, with a special portion of food, and prepares to anoint Saul as king.
Have you ever had a series of events occur where you had no doubt in your mind God had arranged them, for they were too perfect to have been planned by you (circumstances secularists would describe as “coincidence” or “happenstance”)? I have. The story of how I met my wife contains a chain of events which I could not have foreseen or planned, yet they all worked together to form a lasting marriage relationship. I won’t go into lengthy detail, but looking back it is quite obvious to me how God had His hand in it – He had a plan and knew what was best for both my wife and I. Just as God predestined Saul to be king, He predestined for my wife and I to meet, despite the “odds” of all those events happening in just the right order at just the right times. What are the odds Saul would have met Samuel if the donkeys didn’t go missing, or if he had succeeded in finding the donkeys? Nil to none.
I encourage us to to spend a few minutes reflecting on our lives, and look for times where we can see God’s will and hand at work (this is much easier in retrospect). Maybe there’s only one thing we can point to, maybe it’s our entire life we can point to. Regardless, I’m confident if we reflect on our lives long enough, with an open and prayerful mind, we will see at least one time where the events were so perfectly arranged it could only be explained by God’s divine direction. Once we’ve identified at least one instance, let’s praise Him for His steadfast love and the way He works all things together for the good of those who love Him (Rom 8:28 par).
Now I encourage us to praise Him for His handiwork in our present and future circumstances. Even though it’s harder to see God at work in the present, and we can’t see Him at work in a future (it has not yet happened), we can have faith that He has predestined us for great things in our future. His will for us here on earth is not complete until we go home to Him in heaven, so we shouldn’t sit idly by thinking we’re no longer of service to Him (even if you’re 104 years old). God has a plan for you, a plan for good and not disaster, to give you hope and a future (Jer 29:11 par). Let’s celebrate the ongoing work God is doing in our lives, and trust our future into His hands – we won’t likely be declared “king”, but that doesn’t mean we can’t serve Him in a meaningful way, in whatever future He has tailor-made for us.
Father God, our Great and Mighty King, holy, holy, holy is Your name. It is through Your infinite wisdom and steadfast love that You have called each one of us according to Your purpose. We ask for Your Spirit’s powerful leadership in our lives, that You would continue to equip and guide us in Your service. May we continue to pursue Your will over our own, and sacrifice our pride so we may humbly build your kingdom instead of our own. We thank you for Your oversight in our past, present and future, and praise You in advance for reaching this world through us. In the holy and awesome name of Jesus we praise, honor and glorify You, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training