Divine Appointments and What You Thought You Were Doing
1Sam 9:12-20
Synopsis 1Sam 9:12-20 8/30/2018
Saul and his servant decided to visit Samuel. They wanted help finding a herd of missing donkeys. As it happened, Samuel was in the city that day preparing for a feast.
What Saul did not realize was that Samuel was waiting for him. God had told Samuel the day before that a man from Benjamin would come to him. This man, God had disclosed, would save Israel from the Philistines.
When Saul finally found the prophet, Samuel surprised him by inviting him to the feast.
It Wasn’t About the Donkeys
Saul thought he understood what he was doing. He was out looking for his father’s donkeys. Only, that’s not really what he was doing. What he was really doing is moving toward a divinely orchestrated appointment with Samuel.
Divine Appointments and What You Thought You Were Doing
I like to think that I’m in control. I like to think that I set my own agenda. And generally speaking, I execute my daily routine with focus and determination.
But I’m not some godless technocrat. I acknowledge God. I say my prayers. And I’m usually pretty consistent about expressing gratitude.
And yet, I still walk among the unseen – usually with no clue what God’s working to accomplish. Just as the apostle says, “God works all things together for good…” But I’m not a prophet like Samuel. I never see God’s purpose in events until way after the work He intended is complete. Most often, I rarely even see it then.
This is why Givenness matters so much. When I’m flowing in this attitude, I find myself actively looking for what God is doing. I find myself looking for God’s purpose in every encounter. And I commit myself to love whoever is in the mix, wherever I find them. Because the truth is, no matter how “in control” I feel, God is orchestrating my circumstances. And so, what matters least is what I thought I was doing. And what matters most is what God is working to accomplish through my encounters.
When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” Luke 19:5
