Smack dab in the middle!

1 Samuel 9-12

So, doing as he's told, Samuel sets out to find them a king - trusting in the Lord.

Now, I absolutely love how he "finds" a king!  It's a beautiful reminder that God is always working behind the scenes, working in my life, even when I can't see how.  Even when I don't feel like He is.

OK, so this is what happens:


1.  There's this guy named Saul and his dad loses his donkey. 

(Hmmmm....God moment #1?) 

Lesson #1: Life's inconveniences might not be from the enemy but from God himself.


2.  Saul and his servant go looking for the donkey.  His servant "conveniently" remembers a man named, Samuel and thinks this guy might be able to tell them where to look for the donkey.  He actually says, "Hey, I just thought of something!" 


(God moment #2.  Yeah right....God much?  You just "thought" of something? You are looking for a donkey and you believe  some random guy might be able to tell you where it is??) 

Lesson #2: Learn to listen!  It just might be a nudge from the Holy Spirit.

3.  So they go to town, where Samuel "just happens" to come out and meet them.  Apparently,  God had told Samuel the previous day that a man would by coming by and that he was to become the first king of Israel.


(God moment #3 - How cool is that?  OK - so God might not be as forward as that with us, but He does still speak)

Lesson #3:  It's not enough to listen, but I need to act when God speaks.

So, there ya have it!  God was at work, right smack dab in the middle! 

God's still in the business of gettin' in the middle.  He rolls up his heavenly sleeves and digs in as much today as He ever did.  The bible says He's unchanging.  "He's the same yesterday, today and forever", (Heb 13:8) so if He did it then, He does it now!  

Maybe the difference is us.  It doesn't say how God told Samuel.  We assume God spoke to him in a supernatural vision or perhaps He wrote a divine message in the sand!  Maybe, it was a dream!!  Or maybe...Samuel's just a good listener. 

Maybe we need to slow down a bit and learn to hear God when He speaks.  Maybe we need to get more in tune with what God has to say to us.  It could be a hunch, or something we read, or perhaps a word from a wise friend.

God still gets in the middle, today.  But it's not enough to recognize that.  It's not enough, even, to hear Him.  We need to do what He says!

Samuel went out to meet Saul and his servant as they entered the city.  I'm sure he felt a little weird about doing that.  I'm guessing he probably had better things to do that day and wondered if he was just wasting his time.  He may have even questioned as to whether or not anyone would even show up.  But still, he chose to do as God told him to. 

One of my favorite preachers, Joyce Meyer, always says, "You do what you can do and God will do what you can't."  

Samuel walked out of the city to meet some men he really didn't know.  That's what he could do.  He couldn't cause them to lose their donkey.  He couldn't tell them to go and look for it.  He couldn't lead them to his region, Zuph.  That was all stuff God had to do.    

You do what you can and God will do what you can't. 

He'll get in the middle today, the same way He did yesterday and the same way He will tomorrow.