Read 1 Samuel 9:1-10:27

As we launch into the 9^th chapter of 1 Samuel, God has approved the position and the Israelites have agreed to the conditions of a king over Israel.  All that remained was finding the right man.  How do you find a king?  You can’t just select one of the sons of the existing king.  Remember, he is to be the first one.  So do you place a “help wanted” ad in the local paper?  Post the position online?  Hire a “headhunter” to find a handful of likely candidates to interview?

God’s plan was to personally direct Samuel in the selection process.  And God’s choice, though tall and handsome, was a man of insignificance.  He was a man from a seemingly unimportant family in one of the tribes of lesser consequence.  He wasn’t a man who had a dream of throwing his hat in the ring to run for national office.  No, he was just a man out looking for his dad’s missing donkeys.

The story has the makings of some kind of red neck reality show.  But it was reality all right.  God chose an unlikely person to contribute to His amazing plan.  Don’t be surprised by that.  God has repeated that throughout history.  In fact, that is His modus operandi still today.  In all likelihood, you are living proof of that.  Here is the way that Paul expresses it in 1 Corinthians 1:

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”  (vv. 26-29)

If you are a follower of Jesus, that’s a description of what happened with you!

But there is more.  The unlikely people that God chooses are the ones He also uses!  Let him use you today!

Steve Kern