Humbled

 DEVOTION

1^ST SAMUEL

HUMBLED

1 Samuel 9:18-27

18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, "Would you please tell me where the seer's house is?" 19 "I am the seer," Samuel replied. "Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?" 21 Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" 22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited — about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to the cook, "Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside." 24 So the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, "Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, 'I have invited guests.'" And Saul dined with Samuel that day. 25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, "Get ready, and I will send you on your way." When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, "Tell the servant to go on ahead of us"-and the servant did so-"but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God."

NIV

All that Saul needed to know, Samuel told him, even the fact that the donkeys had been found. Saul could not have known that unless the LORD revealed it to him in some way. We are never quite sure how the LORD is going to reveal truth to someone, for it is impossible to put God in a box, so to speak. Although the story is about Saul being chosen to be the first king of Israel. However, we see the response of Saul to the statement that all the desire of Israel has turned to Saul and his father’s family. Saul told Samuel that he was just a Benjamite, the smallest tribe of Israel, and his clan or family was the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin. This appears to be pure humility, having a full understanding of his lack of qualifications to be in such a position, as all the desires of Israel are turning to him. Of course, later we learn that Saul becomes a different man in the face of David's arrival on the scene. But for now, he seems to exhibit this humility, or thinking how could he be the one all of Israel is turning to, as he has no training, no qualifications, no skill-set of leadership, as he is but a son of his father, who was doing his bidding, looking for lost donkeys. This is where we break into this story and make it personal. We know that God has always had a plan for our lives, and it does not matter how we try to make our own way in life, learning whatever skills we want, to advance our way in life. We might attend a certain number of places of learning, even earning degrees in our chosen fields of endeavor. But God has a plan, and he does not need our abilities, skill sets, or whatever amount of education we deem necessary. Of course, he can use our abilities that he oversaw our training. We see that in the life of Moses, it was God who made sure he lived, and was found, so that he learned for forty years all the training he would need to lead Israel, and then for forty more years, he grew in his spiritual life, and at eighty God knew Moses was ready for the call of his life. But with Saul, God simply called an unskilled, untrained, uneducated, humble man to lead all of Israel. We can never guess what God will do, or try to put him in a box, expecting him to respond in how we think he should. He is God, and we are his people. It is that simple, and we can only do that which he calls us to do, no matter our abilities. When God calls us to a task, a ministry for him, he will also empower us. We have the Holy Spirit who has made us his dwelling place, who gives or manifests his gifts within us, empowering us so that through his power we can accomplish that which we are meant to do. But the key to life is to remain humble, for it is God at work within us, and not of ourselves that we can do anything. Jesus told us that apart from him we can do nothing, but with him, all things are possible, for through Jesus we can do anything. Let us always acknowledge the power of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the indwelling Holy Spirit as our source for all things in our lives. We are the smallest of men, from the least of families, poor and broken, but God has called us to his service; how can we not be humbled?