The Donkeys Have Been Found!
Yesterday morning, I was reading 1 Samuel 9–10, and God spoke to me. It’s better to read the full story in scripture, but if you’re short on time, here’s a summary:
SUMMARY
Saul, a Benjamite, was asked by his father to take a servant and go search for his father’s lost donkeys. He went to many towns and through the hill country but did not find the donkeys. After much searching, Saul told the servant that they needed to return home before his father starts to worry about them. The servant suggested going to see Samuel instead so that he could possibly help them find the donkeys. The servant said of Samuel: “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true.” They entered the town and sought out Samuel.
It is added into the story that the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed to Samuel that Saul would be coming, and that Samuel was to anoint him ruler over the people of Israel. Then, when Saul came to Samuel, he immediately invites Saul to a special meal. He also says, “As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found.” Saul responds by minimizing his background as a Benjamite, but Samuel still brings Saul and his servant to eat at the head of the table. Samuel had reserved a special cut of meat for Saul days before this meal because the Lord told him that Saul would be coming.
The next day, Saul was ready to leave with his servant, but Samuel kept him a little longer to give him the message from God. Samuel anoints Saul and gives him instructions. First, he will come across men that assure him that his father’s donkeys have been found and that are looking for a message that Saul would like to send to his father. Then, he will be greeted by men that will give him food. Next, he will meet prophets that are playing instruments and prophesying. Samuel gives him this blessing: “The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand finds to do, for God is with you.” Saul is then made king over Israel.
THE GOOD STUFF
This story has a promise for all of us. I am going to walk you through everything God revealed to me.
First, Saul’s father asks him to go find the lost donkeys. Saul begins looking with a servant and they travel pretty far. They have no luck and Saul becomes frustrated and wants to give up. This happens so often in our lives, and sometimes it feels like our entire lives are made up of this kind of situation. We are all looking for something. God placed that desire in our hearts: to find meaning in our lives and purpose in every day. We can end up roaming around without any sense of direction or vision for where we are supposed to go. After we roam for so long, we exhaust ourselves and decide it’s time to just stop looking. Saul says that they must return home because his father will begin to worry. It’s also very easy to feel tied down by people, schedules, and responsibilities. We don’t want to disappoint others by not doing what we are “supposed to do”. We can spend our while lives “serving others”, when really we are just trying to pour out of an empty cup.
What expectations have other people put on you? Do you feel like those expectations are hindering you from abundant life? I do.
Saul’s servant suggests that they go to the next town to ask Samuel about where the donkeys might be. When I read this, I thought it was ridiculous. Why would a man of God with a God-given purpose care about your donkeys? How would he even have any clue where your donkeys are? But they didn’t listen to me. They went to see Samuel anyways.
Now, here is the first mind blowing part. The story is interrupted by a “small” tidbit of information.
“Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines.” 1 Samuel 9–16a
What!? Y’all, God was already working! All I can think now is, “Thank goodness the servant was with Saul!” We must surround ourselves with people that will encourage us when we feel like giving up and that will point us towards God every time. Otherwise, Saul would have just gone back home to life as he knew it. When they meet Samuel, he invites them to the feast in the high place. He instantly made them feel important. However, Saul states that they are lowly because they are from Benjamin (the smallest tribe). He questions Samuel’s invitation to dinner in the high place, and therefore questions his importance before the Lord. We know that God loves us unconditionally, but it is totally easy to feel small and inferior around successful people.
The second mind blowing part is coming up. Samuel then says, “As for the donkeys you lost three days ago; they have been found.” This hit me like a ton of bricks. Remember those expectations from others we talked about? That long list of responsibilities? Taken care of. Completely. I imagined Saul taking a huge sigh of relief at the sound of those words. This is also huge because his father now has no “need” for him.
Have you ever stayed in a relationship because you felt the other person needed you too badly? You couldn’t leave a person or job because you felt responsible for them, or you felt responsible for pleasing them? Hi, my name is Ellen, and I’m a people pleaser. I have been there and done that and honestly, I’m still there and still doing that. Saul tried his best to find the donkeys to complete the task and meet his father’s expectations, but the reality is that there are some tasks that the enemy uses to waste our time. The good news is that God can turn things meant for evil into GOOD! Here’s the best part.
Saul is honored at the dinner and then everyone is off to bed. Early the next morning, Samuel gives Saul the message from God. Samuel anoints him with oil and gives him instructions that provide him with everything he will need. First, the ability to break off ties and end on good terms with his father. He gets the chance to communicate to his father what God is doing in his life. He gets the chance to step out on his own in the boldness he experiences as he finds his purpose. Second, bread. Thank you, Lord, for bread. Third, purpose. He gets to meet up with prophets and have the Spirit of the Lord come on him so that he also can prophesy with them. It says he gets changed into a different person. Can you imagine how he felt in that moment? Don’t you want to experience that? Me too. Saul goes on to be made the king of Israel. That sounds like a pretty good upgrade from roaming around and looking for donkeys.
Let’s lay down the expectations and plans that others have for us and try picking up the expectations and plans God has for us. He promises they are abundant.
*All scripture is pulled from the NIV bible.
