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Donkeys to Destiny

by Tonja Taylor
5/23/2020 / Christian Living

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; -- Isaiah 1:19 (AMPC)

As part of our daily Bible study during homeschool, my 12-year-old daughter and I have been studying I Samuel. The Holy Spirit has opened my eyes to new things about how obedience affects destiny.

Yesterday, she and I discussed the fact that (as we read in Chapter 9), simply by being obedient to his father to look for lost donkeys, Saul was setting his destiny in motion. He had no idea that God was involved, directing his path at just the right time to just the right place for God's will (although not His perfect will; more on that later) to happen.

By being obedient, by respecting authority in what seemed like just a semi-important matter--and, as I pointed out to my daughter, with the right attitude--Saul went to look for the donkeys as his father requested, and thus started on the path to become king of Israel!

Truly, God’s plans for us are always good (Jeremiah 29:11) and much bigger than we know.

The Bible does not say how long Saul and his servant looked without finding the donkeys, but Saul became concerned that his father might start worrying about him instead of the donkeys, and suggested they turn back. Instead, the wise servant politely mentioned that the prophet Samuel was in the area and would tell them where to find the animals. (Samuel was the seer, the prophet, the one who could tell them things they could not know otherwise, because Jesus had not yet come to earth to die, rise again, and ascend to Heaven to send His all-knowing Spirit to indwell men.)

Saul agreed, then worried that they had no gift to take the man of God. But the LORD had provided by having the wise servant pack silver, too. (This servant was later rewarded for his own obedience and foresight.)

Not only was the LORD directing Saul's steps, but He had provided for all his needs.

So they went to the prophet Samuel, who told them the donkeys were already found. We see that the LORD used the event of finding the donkeys as a way to get Saul to the right place at the right time. However, if Saul had not been obedient, I strongly believe his destiny would have been delayed.

The day before he met Saul, God had told Samuel that Saul was to be king. When Samuel met him, he told Saul, the "desirable things of Israel" were for him and his father's house. Saul was confused, and understandably so. He did what so many of us have done when faced with the tremendous destinies God has designed for us to fulfill: he put himself down. Unbelief and fear clouded Saul's understanding, and he thought the priest was talking nonsense.

As most of us have done, Saul shrank back and said, to paraphrase: “Who, me? You must be joking!"

But instead of chastising him, Samuel invited Saul and his servant to the "high place," which was a place of worship to which only certain privileged people were allowed to ascend. There, Samuel, Saul, and the servant--who was receiving part of his reward then because of his faithfulness to Saul--ate with 30 other privileged people.

Samuel even gave Saul the choice portion of meat, the shoulder, which was normally reserved for himself, the priest. And he told Saul in verse 24 of chapter 9, "See what was reserved for you? Eat, for until the hour appointed, it was kept for you."

This delighted me, for it reminded me of Isaiah 49:4, that,"what is due us is in the LORD's hand, and our reward is with our God.”

Because He obeyed, the LORD directed Saul’s steps. So it is apparent to me that some parts of our destinies, at least, will most likely never be fulfilled unless we take a step, and then, with the light that we have, keep walking. God is faithful to order our steps and direct our paths when we trust in Him and don’t try to figure things out on our own (Proverbs 3:5,6).

What God has destined for us is ours, if we will just be obedient, even in the small things. (Yes, donkeys were important possessions in Saul's day, but who would have dreamed that by searching for donkeys, he would discover his destiny as king over God's people? O, the depths and riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!)

What God has planned for us from the beginning, He has and will protect until the proper time to introduce it into our lives. All we have to do is trust in His goodness and perfect timing, and do all we know to do to follow Him. When it is time, the LORD will show us the next step--and help us take it!

Although Saul later lost his kingship because he envied David and was otherwise disobedient, if we continue in obedience to the LORD, we will succeed in our destiny and bring great glory to God!

LORD, help us to be obedient in even the little things, to humble ourselves that we may be exalted in due time, in Jesus name, Amen!

Through books, courses, presentations, service, prayer, worship, and more, Tonja and her husband live to exalt God. Her series for girls, P.O.W.E.R. GIRL ADVENTURES, is now out (books I-V), along with LEGACY; YOUR HOLY HEALTH: VISIONS OF THE KING, and more. See the "River Rain Creative" YT channel.

Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com-CHRISTIAN WRITERS

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