A man named Kish lost his donkeys. Since it was nomadic times without fences, this wasn’t hard. So he sent his son Saul and an attendant to go find them. Now Saul was an “impressive young man. There was no one more impressing among the Israelites than he. He stood a head taller than anyone else” (1 Sam 9:2).
Saul and his attendant were struggling to find the donkeys when they decided to go find a man of God that they heard about. Perhaps he would know where they were.
Meanwhile Samuel was told by the Lord that a man would come from the land of Benjamin whom Saul was to annoint as king. This man who would then become king would save his people from the hand of the Philistines as the Lord had heard their cry.
Saul comes looking for lost donkeys. And Samuel comes looking for the man whom God would appoint as king. Much to Saul’s surprise, Samuel anoints him as king. Saul goes on to meet up with some prophets, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon him, and he began prophesying.
Then he went home, said nothing to others, and returned to the fields working the ground and tending the animals. Later on though when Saul formerly chose a king, he had representatives of all the tribes come forward. Then he chose the tribe of Benjamin. He did the same for the clan and then down to the families. But when the Kish family came forward Saul was missing. He was hiding (1 Sam 10:22).
He was impressive, handsome, a head taller than any others, and when it came time to anoint him as king he hid among the supplies. Was he shy? Scared? Insecure? Probably all of those considering how we see him in events to come.
When God chooses us we come with a lot of baggage. Everyone does. It’s no different with prophet, priest or king. But the place and hold of those insecurities matter. Do we let them eclipse God? Do they overcome relationships? Do they hinder our calling?
In Saul’s case instead of resting in God’s choice for him and just dealing with his insecurities, he would let them grow and interfere with his life. Eventually they cost him the kingship.
Never let your insecurities, your fears and your issues overcome that which God has placed within you, and trust you for, in order to fulfill His purposes.
Perhaps the unlikely leader is…you.
