“samuel said to saul, ‘tell the attendant to go on ahead of us, but you stay for awhile, and i’ll reveal the word of God to you.”
first samuel 9:9

it’s not about the lost donkeys. it never was.

it’s about getting to the place where the word of God will be spoken.

i love this story…..

one day the “donkeys of saul’s father” wander off . and saul’s dad sends him to look for them.

so saul and his attendant set out on a journey in search of these lost animals. a journey that takes them through quite a few towns. after several days, they run out of food, water, and supplies. and no one has seen these donkeys.

as they approach the last area, unsure what to do, saul suggests looking for “the man of God in this city. he is highly respected; everything he says is sure to come true. let’s go there now. maybe he’ll tell us which way we should go.”

long story short: they don’t even have to find samuel; they “run into” him, because he’s already heard from God a few days before and is on the lookout for saul, in order to deliver the news that he has been chosen by God to be israel’s first king.

“oh, and by the way,” says samuel, “those donkeys you’ve been looking for? they were found days ago.”

did I say I love this story?

you think you’re just looking for lost donkeys, and you end up being anointed king over israel.

it never was about the donkeys. searching for the donkeys was the task God used to get saul to the place where he could hear the words of the Lord.

isn’t it the same for us?

why are we in relationship with God, anyway?

to hear his words and obey him.

Jesus said in all of the gospels that anyone who wants to be his disciple must follow him.

to follow him, we must hear his words.

and God will use whatever it takes to get us to those words.

i reflect on all the tasks in my life – everything from errands to phone calls to my responsibilities in the marketplace – and they take on a whole new meaning.

the tasks themselves are inconsequential. their only function is to get me to the place where the word of the Lord is. sometimes that word will be for me. other times that word will be through me for someone else.

O God, teach me to see tasks and responsibilities as segways to your word: your healing, comforting, loving, disciplining, instructive, directive, all-wise, all-knowing, supernatural word.

give me ears to hear your voice louder than all the others, eyes to see what you are doing, and a heart that always turns toward you.

remind me that even though in the natural realm i’m just searching for lost donkeys, in the spiritual realm i’m on the way to divine revelation.

may I hear and obey.

from the inside out.