HEEDING THE CALL IS ONLY STEP ONE!

DAILY WORD

5/3/23

20. So Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel before the LORD, and the tribe of Benjamin was chosen by lot.

21. Then he brought each family of the tribe of Benjamin before the LORD, and the family of the Matrites was chosen. And finally Saul son of Kish was chosen from among them. But when they looked for him, he had disappeared!

22. So they asked the LORD, “Where is he?”

And the LORD replied, “He is hiding among the baggage.”

23. So they found him and brought him out, and he stood head and shoulders above anyone else.

1 Samuel 10: 20–23 NLT

Today’s Passage returns us to The Story of Samuel as the coronation of Israel’s first king is established. Samuel has encountered Saul and sent him home to prepare, and now, the time has come for the strapping young commoner to become something more.

However, as we see Saul’s response to all this pomp and circumstance, Today’s Lesson is presented quickly. What does Saul, this proficient, skilled, and competent young man do when the time comes to be recognized? He hides.

But before we get to that, I want to cover a couple of other points. First is how the selection process is presented to the people. Samuel, the Prophet and Judge over Israel called every tribe and family together for an individual to be selected by the casting of lots.

The practice was apparently relatively common in the day. If you remember, the sailors on Jonah’s ship, which he tried to run from God in, cast lots to discover who was causing the storm that threatened to sink them. Haman cast lots to discern when to execute the enslaved Jews in The Book of Esther. And the Roman soldiers cast lots to find out who took Jesus’ robes as He hung dying on His Cross.

So, casting lots, or in essence, a raffle, was often the most equitable, random option to select one person out of a group without the others becoming resentful. But God had already chosen Saul, so He manipulated the lottery in the young man’s Favor. And as undemocratic as that sounds, it is what He does for us every day!

God’s Favor is the only thing keeping the enemy’s forces at bay; remembering that would be a supreme benefit. Without His frankly utterly unmerited Favor, we’d all languish under the harsh lashes of degradation and iniquity. It is only through His Grace that we find our Foundation and Purpose.

So, even though the outcome was already assured, and Saul had been qualified by God’s Spirit, which He heaped into him, that didn’t mean he was mentally or emotionally prepared for the task. And that brings us back to Today’s Lesson.

Just because God prepares you Spiritually for the tasks He’s Called you to, that doesn’t mean you have no responsibility for it. On the contrary, Saul’s reaction to his Call proves that even those Called directly by God’s own Voice may not be fully committed to His Purposes.

In fact, many of God’s surrogates resisted the initial Call. I mentioned Jonah earlier. He ran so far from God that He had to enact extreme action to haul him back. And that is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to those who were mentally unready to take on what God qualified them for.

Jesus Himself asked for His cup of agonizing responsibility to pass Him by, but in the end, He consented, and Thank God He did! Today’s Lesson is that even though God Calls you through His very Voice, that doesn’t necessarily mean accomplishing the task will not come with challenges, some of which stem from within our own minds.

A Season of Preparation comes with God’s Call, which may require more than simply accepting His Commission. It may take some blood, sweat, and tears to become the Vessel of Honor God is Calling us to be.

Even if you’re Called, that doesn’t mean you’re ready. But sometimes, it is only our fear holding us back. Doubt is the enemy’s most effective weapon against God’s Call. All he has to do is inject a micro dose into our synapses, and it can effectively hamstring even God’s qualification. Think about that the next time you hear God’s Call. It may mean it’s time for the real work to begin!

Have a Wonderous Wednesday And Never Forget That Heeding The Call Is Just The First Step In You Journey With God!

#dailyword