I just finished reading 1 Samuel the other night and started on 2 Samuel today. I thought there was a descrepancy with the verses because in 1 Sam 31:4-5, it says that Saul fell upon his own sword to kill himself because he knew the Philistines were coming to finish him off. They had already hit him with some arrows and he was badly wounded (1 Sam 31:3). So the verse says,

“Then said Saul to his armorbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me. But his armorbearer would not; for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell upon it.

And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell upon his sword, and died with him.” 1 Samuel 31:4-5

So it appears that Saul is indeed dead. But then in 2 Samuel 1:6-10, an Amalekite claims he killed Saul. So which is true? I personally thought the Amalekite was lying.

Well, they all are true. Remember it says the “armorbearer saw that Saul was dead.” If you saw someone fall on a sword, you would automatically assume they were dead. This verse is just explaining why the armorbearer killed himself. Maybe even Saul himself thought he was dead at that moment. B/c if you look closely, verse 1:6 says:

“As I happened by chance upon mount Gilboa, behold, Saul was leaning upon his spear; and, lo, the chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him.”

This actually follows in line with everything. The chariots are coming after Saul because they already hit him with their arrows, wounded him so badly that he probably would have died eventually, but they’re coming to check it out, make sure he’s dead and if he’s not, to finish him off. It says the Amalekite sees Saul “leaning upon his spear” meaning he had thrusts it through his body, which he had done previously. This fits in with the context of the verses that follow later, because Saul later says in 2 Samuel 1:9,

“And he (Saul) said unto me, Stand, I pray thee, beside me, and slay me; for anguish hath taken hold of me, because my life is yet whole in me. “

Why was Saul in anguish? because he tried to kill himself before the chariots came and even after putting the sword in his body, he was still alive!!  So he asked the Amalekite to finish him off, which he did.

So who killed Saul? It appears the Bible is contradictory because it says that Saul killed himself, or that he was killed by Philistines, or that he was killed by the Amalekite. There is another verse that says God killed him for his transgression and he no longer wanted Saul to be ruler of Israel (1 Chronicles 10:14)…this is not an either/or situation. All of the above are true. Saul was not an easy guy to kill so it really did take all of the above to kill him. Now the whole thing about God killing him for his transgressions is also true. Without God allowing, the battle with the Philistines would have never happened. God did kill Saul in a sense by not preventing it. Now that’s not to say that when everyone dies God is killing us off in punishment. In this particular case it was Saul’s time to go according to God’s timetable and in this particular case, we see why.

I just want to point out that when verses seem to contradict and not make sense it’s because we’re skimming or not paying much attention. It’s interesting, when you miss a little bit of the context like Saul being in anguish because he still wasn’t dead despite his efforts, you would have missed the whole thing about picturing Saul with a sword through his body which was spoken of in the prior verses. Each time it appears Saul is dead, but he’s not. It’s like watching a really good movie, where everything is recorded moment by moment, he falls on his sword and is dead…wait, no wait, there’s movement, he’s still alive! Ok now this guy comes by and officially kills him. It took all of that to kill Saul, so all of it is true. We can be quick sometimes to question the Bible, just make sure you’re not questioning it because of your own lack in reading and comprehension.

It is very possible that my dream of Jesus last night was just my own mind coming up with things. However, it is also possible that Jesus really did show up. In Biblical times God also communicated through dreams and I believe He still does it today. I understand in Biblical dreams everything was very symbolic and had to be deciphered, but who’s to say today that Jesus Himself will appear in your dream. Also, the other reason I believe it was truly Jesus I saw last night was because I have only dreamed of Jesus once before. I don’t dream about Jesus everyday of my life in other words. Only twice now in my 26 years.

The first time I dreamed of Jesus I was having a hard time with my religion. I struggled to know the truth. At the time I guess you could say I was doubting my faith. I had always grown up Christian. I was dating a Muslim and it was in college. We had decided that we would learn about each other’s faiths to be fair and I think we were both hoping the other would convert. I had no intentions of converting, but then I starting thinking “Well, just because I was raised this way doesn’t necessarily mean it is right.” So I started looking at things much more objectively. I started really considering what Islam means and if it could be right. I struggled back and forth for awhile, trying to figure out how I could decipher the truth. Finally, one night before I fell asleep in tears, I cried out to God and I said, “God, show me the right way. Show me the truth.” That night I had a very vivid dream of a man that was glowing. I couldn’t see His face, but He was like floating and had His arms outstretched. He didn’t say anything, but at the same time there was some sort of mind communication and although I didn’t say anything to Him in the dream either, in my mind, I was saying “I am so sorry for doubting you.” Almost involuntarily when He appeared I quickly went down on my knees and put my face to the ground. In my dream, I knew He was God. You see in Islam, they do not recognize Jesus as God or as a savior. That is the biggest difference between the two religions. They are similar in many ways, but there are a lot of ways they are not similar. Without Christ, there is no forgiveness of sins. In Islam, you are judged based on a scale of your number of rights and wrongs. I quickly woke up after that dream in a sweat in the middle of the night and asked myself “Did I just see Jesus?” I believe I had. Needless to say, I no longer questioned my faith. For some people, a dream is not enough to convince them of truth. For those people, I believe God wouldn’t use a dream. But God knew me well. And He still knows me today…

… I don’t remember if I was fasting during the time I had that first dream of Jesus. I know I had fasted some during that time of doubt. Fasting is a great way to connect with God and interrupt the physical world. Today and yesterday I am fasting, but not for religious reasons. Haha, I uh, decided to give the Hollywood diet a try. I have these 2 days off from work and it seemed like the best time to do it. It requires no food and you drink this juice throughout the day. I have lost 5 lbs in the first day as they said I would, but 5 lbs of what is the question Anyhow, I’m thinking that although I’m not fasting on purpose, it probably had some bearing on the situation.

I lost a very dear friend of mine this past December to suicide. He was an ex-boyfriend and someone I loved very dearly. We had just broken up about 2 months before he did it. I had dated him for 3 years. My life pretty much revolved around him. I knew he had depression and I did everything I could to try to make it go away, to make him happy. But as depression would have it, he kept pushing me away and moving further and further away physically. He originally lived in my town, then moved 3 hours away to his parents, then many hours away to NYC. There came a point where he was planning on coming back to where I live, which would have been a dream come true. However, I began to doubt the relationship. It had had it’s ups and downs and I realized I couldn’t live like this for the rest of my life. It was slowly destroying me. I had no more joy and had gone into depression myself. In trying to save him, I lost myself. I really just needed a break to see things in a different light. So I broke up with him. It really was a dramatic change in me. So dramatic that people that don’t even know me that well started asking me what was going on – they said I looked so much happier, healthier, that I had a glow about me. I also should add, while I was with this guy, my relationship with God began to falter. Not in the beginning, but towards the end. I think that’s where my depression really took hold. I wasn’t at the stage of suicide, but I was not myself either.

I just wanted to give you a brief understanding of the situation. I had encouraged my boyfriend to go to church, and tried to get him to get help. I wanted to help him as much as I could. I wanted to always be there for him. I felt like this was a mission from God even. When I heard of his death, I lost it. I hadn’t spoken to him since Halloween when he called. He did it on Nov 11. I miss him so much. Just as a friend really. Sometimes I’ll see something that I know he would like and I want to show it to him, but he’s not here.

I had a deep fear that he might not be in Heaven. I wanted to believe he was, but we all know that only God truly knows the hearts of men. He had written in a letter that he wanted all his money donated to charity and he asked for his funeral to be preachy. I wasn’t allowed to the funeral. He didn’t want me there because he claimed I didn’t want to be a part of his life. I very much wanted to be a part of his life, but I didn’t want to be a part of his death. I didn’t feel that me being with him was really helping him. I realized this when he one day admitted to me that he had attempted suicide numerous times while we were together. Was he in heaven was the big question. I kept telling myself he was but I was never at peace. Honestly, a part of me wanted to die right then and there to find out.

I’m not sure why I dreamed the following dream last night and not sooner. Perhaps it is because of the fasting, I’m not sure. But God showed up last night. I had first had a dream about my ex, which isn’t unusual. I’ve had many of those where I’m trying to save him and succeed, or we’re just hanging out again like old times. So last night, I had a dream that he was back from the dead and for some reason I was in Germany and I began crying when I saw him. I don’t really know why…I think I was scared in this dream. Then much later into the night, all I remember is seeing Jesus. Not like I did before, He wasn’t glowing or anything, but I don’t remember His face. I just remember he was in a blue robe with a white sash, much like you see in the pictures. I went up to him and the dialog is different. I asked in reference to my ex “Can I make a bed for him so he is more comfortable?” I knew what I  meant in the dream, I meant give him something to give him comfort in Hell. And Jesus replied. I don’t remember the words exactly now. I wish I had written them down when I woke up in the middle of the night now. But he said something like “My Child, why do you seek to make a bed for him, when he is already comforted?” In fell along the same lines of “Why do you seek the living among the dead” when Mary Magdalen when to perfume Jesus corpse at the tombstone and the angel said that to her. In my dream, before that interchange, I had been weeping out of fear that my ex was in Hell. After Jesus said this, I ran to Him and hugged Him for so long and he embraced me and I had tears still, but they were such happy tears. I knew my ex was in Heaven. When I woke up, I had more peace than I have ever had about this situation. And when I began to doubt again, I will remember this. Thank you God for giving me peace. And you know, looking back, all my other dreams about my ex, me saving him and hanging out with him like old times…perhaps, I did help save him in the spiritual sense and one day we will hang out again like old times in Heaven.

In following with my current Bible study, you will remember that were are reading in 1 Samuel. This writing very broadly covers Chapters 12 – 16. If you remember, God chose Saul to be king over Israel. Saul was a Godly man at the time he was chosen and God had favor on him. If you take time to read these chapters, you will notice that Saul does some things that are sinful against God. For example, Samuel was the one who was to offer the burnt offerings and he was to meet Saul on a certain day to do the burnt offerings for the people. However, Samuel was a day late. Since Samuel hadn’t shown as he said he would, Saul believed he couldn’t wait. So Saul offered the burnt offerings, and right after he finished, Samuel shows up. What did this cost Saul? God had planned on making him to reign over Israel, but now God was looking for someone else to reign…someone after His own heart.

You know, I actually see myself in this situation. Not the whole offering sacrifices thing, but how often do we wait and wait on God to do something and then we think “I guess something happened…maybe God wants me to do this instead of waiting on him.” We become proactive. We think we know what’s best. All in all, we panic. That’s what it boils down to. And I almost wonder since God had set up Saul to be king if Saul believed that every thought that entered His head on how to do things he believed was given the ok by God? I wonder if some of our current religious leaders think the same? I hope not, but after all, we are all human. I love the pastor of the church I go to. I know he is a Godly man, but he knows too that he is sinful and makes mistakes. I think some people place their pastors so high up on a pedestal that they think the pastor has the right answer to everything because he’s been ordained by God to be a minister. I don’t want to speak evil of any pastor, but it is important to realize that they are human and they don’t always know everything. Ultimately, it’s up to our relationship with God and what the Bible says on how we respond to certain situations. But like I said, I see myself in this particular passage…get tired of waiting, so I feel the need to do something. I convince myself that I’m right in doing so.

Saul makes a few other mistakes along the way before God dethrones him and sets up a new king. I wonder what took God so long? I mean, in chapter 12 he was already talking about dethroning him, but Saul managed to go to war, almost put his own son to death, and sinned against God once more before God finally said “ok, that’s enough.” Maybe Saul thought he was getting away with it. Maybe he didn’t really believe God.

It’s interesting, Saul went to war and was commanded to destroy everything…not bring anything back. But instead of doing this, he thought it was better to bring back the best of the spoils, destroy the rest, and offer it as a burnt offering to the Lord. Here is another example that I see myself in. How many times are we commanded by God to do one thing, but we tweak it a little and think, “but this would be even better!”? Saul was put in his place when Samuel said

” Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the LORD?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams. ” 1 Samuel 15:22 NIV

I think we miss the point sometimes. Not to mention, in all honesty, I wondered if Samuel was telling the truth. There is a possibility that he wanted the best of the spoils for himself, even though God told him to destroy it, but he gets caught by Samuel, so to make himself look good, he says he intended on offering it as a burnt offering. I think he might have just been covering his tracks. We do that too.

At the end of chapter 15, the verse says: ..the Lord repented that he had made Saul King over Israel.” KJV God repented? This was confusing to me so I had to go into further study with outside commentaries to get a better understanding of this verse. This isn’t the only time God says this. He also mentions it right before the flood when God repented that he had made man and he decides to destroy everyone in a flood. He says it in other places too. After reading a commentary on it, I figured out that it just means that God is sorry that man has chosen to sin against Him and repenting involves going about a different method. Well, I’ll let you read the commentary:

15:10-23 Repentance in God is not a change of mind, as it is in us, but a change of method. The change was in Saul; He is turned back from following me. Hereby he made God his enemy. Samuel spent a whole night in pleading for Saul. The rejection of sinners is the grief of believers: God delights not in their death, nor should we. Saul boasts to Samuel of his obedience. Thus sinners think, by justifying themselves, to escape being judged of the Lord. The noise the cattle made, like the rust of the silver, Jas 5:3, witnessed against him. Many boast of obedience to the command of God; but what means then their indulgence of the flesh, their love of the world, their angry and unkind spirit, and their neglect of holy duties, which witness against them? See of what evil covetousness is the root; and see what is the sinfulness of sin, and notice that in it which above any thing else makes it evil in the sight of the Lord; it is disobedience: Thou didst not obey the voice of the Lord. Carnal, deceitful hearts, like Saul, think to excuse themselves from God’s commandments by what pleases themselves. It is hard to convince the children of disobedience. But humble, sincere, and conscientious obedience to the will of God, is more pleasing and acceptable to him than all burnt-offering and sacrifices. God is more glorified and self more denied, by obedience than by sacrifice. It is much easier to bring a bullock or lamb to be burned upon the altar, than to bring every high thought into obedience to God, and to make our will subject to his will. Those are unfit and unworthy to rule over men, who are not willing that God should rule over them.

15:24-31 There were several signs of hypocrisy in Saul’s repentance. 1. He besought Samuel only, and seemed most anxious to stand right in his opinion, and to gain his favour. 2. He excuses his fault, even when confessing it; that is never the way of a true penitent. 3. All his care was to save his credit, and preserve his interest in the people. Men are fickle and alter their minds, feeble and cannot effect their purposes; something happens they could not foresee, by which their measures are broken; but with God it is not so. The Strength of Israel will not lie.

15:32-35 Many think the bitterness of death is past when it is not gone by; they put that evil day far from them, which is very near. Samuel calls Agag to account for his own sins. He followed the example of his ancestors’ cruelty, justly therefore is all the righteous blood shed by Amalek required. Saul seems unconcerned at the token of God’s displeasure which he lay under, yet Samuel mourns day and night for him. Jerusalem was carnally secure while Christ wept over it. Do we desire to do the whole will of God? Turn to him, not in form and appearance, but with sincerity.

The above commentary was taken from: http://mhc.biblecommenter.com/1_samuel/15.htm

All in all, just because God chose Saul to be king over Israel, it was not permanent, and it was based on Saul’s obedience to God throughout the entire time. Saul was Godly in the beginning, but it’s like pride got in the way and he backslided. Basically, Saul broke his end of the bargain through his sin, and God therefore had to choose someone else, though he was saddened to have to do so. It’s interesting, the God of the universe who knows the future and everything that we are going to do, allows us to be put up in high places, even when He knows we’re going to fail. It’s like, He still offers a chance or hopes that maybe we will do His will despite what He knows. I don’t know. I will never fully understand God and no one ever will. He is infinite and we are finite. He is God and we’re not, so everything isn’t suppose to make sense. We try, though. But we can only understand what He allows us to. Beyond that, we just have to trust Him. I have a few unanswered questions, but for the most part, the basics and some beyond basics I have an understanding of, and that is really all we need.

I had an answer to prayer this week. I just recently joined a small group through my church and after every meeting we had prayer time where we exchange prayer requests. I had told the group about my waitressing job and how the manager seems to have something against me. I’ve worked there for 9 years, nevertheless, she will give a new girl who’s only been there for 2 weeks the best section in the restaurant and me the worst. She is obvious about it and doesn’t try to hide it at all. The group had prayed that I would start getting better sections, and they also prayed for my manager, that God would help her with whatever is going on in her life – bitterness, etc.

Well,  I can’t attest to how the prayer personally affected my manager, but this week on 3 of the days a different girl made the chart for who got what section in the restaurant. She usually only does this once a week on Sunday and she isn’t much better than my manager as far as giving me the best section – they are very close friends. However, this Weds, this girl called me up and actually asked me what section I wanted. She goes, “I figured you had been here the longest, so you should be able to pick.” I was flabbergasted. I was just thankful that she had done that. I picked the best section. This girl also made the chart on Saturday and Sunday and both days I had that same section! She has never called me to ask which section I wanted. It didn’t hit me that it was an answer to prayer until we met up this last Sunday and someone else prayed that I would continue to get good sections. That’s when it hit me that God had answered the prayers.

I began at that moment to have more faith in the power of praying with others and more faith that when we pray together, our prayers will be answered and we are stronger against Satan.

Reading for today: 1 Samuel 8 – 9.

I’m trying to read through the entire Bible…not within a year or 2 years or one of those deadlines, but just period. Up until now, and I don’t remember when I started, I have read until the book of 1 Samuel. I don’t really have a set number of verses or chapters I read, but I try to read at least one chapter. Today, I read 2.

Let me give you some background. The people of Israel have been long ago freed from the Egyptians and have been established as their own people who can defend themselves, with the help of God, of course. As of this reading, Samuel was the prophet of Israel. God audibly spoke to him. Now, I feel like God speaks to me, and every Christian I talk to says God speaks to them, but it is NOT audible. We hear this little voice inside of our head…sometimes it isn’t God, sometimes it’s Satan. We have to learn to discern which voice is which and which one to listen to. Anyway, I used to wonder about a lot of people in the Bible that “heard” from God. Well, Samuel definitely heard an actual voice, because the first time he heard God, he got out of bed three times thinking it was his mentor, Eli calling him. (That’s not in today’s reading verses I have at the top, but just background.) Anyways, that’s when Samuel was chosen to be a prophet over Israel. God only spoke to one man during those days. And that man was the one who spoke to all the Israelites.

On to the verses for today…the people of Israel, after Samuel had been a prophet for some time for some time, and was old, he put his sons as rulers over Israel. However, Samuel’s sons did not follow God like Samuel had and they were corrupt rulers. The elders asked for Samuel to give them a king instead, saying “now make us a king to judge us like all the other nations.” (1 Sam 8:5). God was not happy with this that they wanted a king instead of a prophet. He said to Samuel to let the people get what they wished for and that they had not rejected Samuel, but had rejected God, that God shouldn’t be the ruler over them.

Now this is interesting to me and the first revelation I had so to speak. It’s funny, because the people wanted to be like the rest of the world, with a king. They wanted to be like everybody else. How often do we want to just be like everybody else? We probably don’t see it as wrong, but just wanting to fit in and as a way to get ahead in the world. The Israelites wanted a King to lead them in battle. And although Samuel warned them that if they had a king, he would take all the sons to battle, he would have the women working all the time to be cooks and bakers, he will take a tenth of their increase from their fields and flocks, and will put everyone to work for him. He warned that the people will cry out to God during that time for relief, but that God would not hear them. Now I don’t see this as harsh, I see it as a fair warning. God basically said, ok, if they is what you really want, this is what is going to happen, if you still choose it, you have made your decision and an “I told you so” is all you’re going to get in the end. I see this as a characteristic of God. He let’s us make our own decisions, but we do live with the consequences. He allows us to reject Him and choose something lesser than Him, because He would not force us to choose him.

The Israelites still wanted a king.

And now to get on to the part that has something to do with my title. God chose Saul. Saul was from the smallest tribe of Israel – the tribe of Benjamin. And not only that, he was from one of the lowliest families. One day the donkeys got loose and Saul’s dad asked him and a servant to go look for the donkeys. They traveled very far and could not find them. After they had looked throughout all of Benjamin, they…

⁵ When they reached the district of Zuph, Saul said to the servant who was with him, “Come, let’s go back, or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and start worrying about us.”

⁶ But the servant replied, “Look, in this town there is a man of God; he is highly respected, and everything he says comes true. Let’s go there now. Perhaps he will tell us what way to take.”

⁷ Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?”

⁸ The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel ^[a] of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.” ⁹ (Formerly in Israel, if a man went to inquire of God, he would say, “Come, let us go to the seer,” because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.)

¹⁰ “Good,” Saul said to his servant. “Come, let’s go.” So they set out for the town where the man of God was.

Ok, let’s look at this a moment. The “seer” they spoke of was Samuel. But this is interesting to me. This was just an ordinary day for Saul. He got up one morning and the donkeys were gone. It appeared this had happened before. I wonder if Saul was a little pissed off about it? Maybe, or maybe not. It doesn’t say, but I can see how it might would throw a wrench in his day. How often does that happen to us? As we read further, we see that God was leading Saul straight to Samuel…and he did it by causing a problem to interrupt Saul’s day. A typical, annoying problem. Something that you would just rather not deal with. A problem he almost gave up on…but he had encouragement from a friend to try one more thing. We need friends for stuff like this. If it were not for that servant, Saul would have just gone home. He may have tried another day, perhaps, but it was this particular day that he was to see Samuel. I believe God may have put on that servant’s heart the idea to go see Samuel. Another important point is that Saul was willing to take the suggestion. He wasn’t hard headed. I imagine he was also very tired by this point, after looking for these donkeys for three days! (see verse 20). So they go to see Samuel. Saul had no idea what was coming to him. He was just trying to find his donkeys.

¹¹ As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some girls coming out to draw water, and they asked them, “Is the seer here?”

¹² “He is,” they answered. “He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. ¹³ As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.”

They were still searching. God didn’t just automatically lead them to Samuel. There was still some work involved. But here is the cool part…

¹⁴ They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place.

¹⁵ Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel: ¹⁶ “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.”

¹⁷ When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, “This is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

All this time, God actually says that he was going to send a man to Samuel. He told Samuel this the day before...perhaps right before he allowed the donkeys to escape from Saul’s house. Saul had no clue! Saul didn’t even probably acknowledge that God was thinking of him at that moment. Saul was trying to solve an everyday problem. And God was using it and had allowed this problem in order to lead him straight to Samuel so that Saul will become the ruler over the whole nation!! Wow. It’s an eye opener to me. I realize that my everyday problems could be leading me to somewhere grand. I know nothing about it, just like Saul, but God knows what He’s doing all along. God is sending Saul to Samuel, and He tells Samuel about it and to expect him, but Saul is just looking for the seer. He probably is planning to go home that evening, find the donkeys and be done with it.

The last of this chapter:

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.”

Let me point out first, God took care of Saul’s problem without Saul having to do anything at all. The donkeys had returned home. The whole point of the problem in the first place was to lead Saul in the right direction.

Secondly, let me point out that Saul knew he came from the smallest tribe and from the lowliest family. Yet, God chose him. This, if you are familiar with the Bible, is a recurring theme. God chooses the least for his best work. Why? So He can demonstrate His power through them so that no man can boast. God is all powerful and we are lowly, but He best demonstrates this by using the most lowly in human eyes so that we can actually see it. God says if you are weak, rejoice, for you are strong in Christ.

Our God is an awesome God. Notice at the end of the passage, Samuel still hasn’t told Saul that he is to be king. Samuel, I’m assuming by God’s command, waits til the next morning. However, until then, Saul has been enjoying the blessings of God by dining with Samuel.

God, may I not be annoyed by the problems put before me. May I realize that you may have allowed them to shape me into the person you want me to be or to lead me to something really great. You are an awesome God.