Kept For You

1. June 2009 by Bernice Davis.

Hello:

Welcome back from the weekend.   We ended our discussion on last Friday with talking about how God had already spoke to Samuel the “day before” to tell him that he would soon meet the future king of Israel.   We talked about how Saul was out chasing his father’s lost donkeys and how he had no idea that such a trivial task would cause him to run into his destiny.   Our text ended with Saul and his servant going to find the man of God.    Today our lesson picks up with what happens when they finally meet.  Let’s look at the text.

I Samuel 9:18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?” 19 ”I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father’s family?” 21 Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?” 22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited–about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.” 24 So the cook took up the leg with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion, from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’” And Saul dined with Samuel that day. 25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”–and the servant did so–”but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God.”

The text says that Samuel does ease Saul of his worries about the donkeys and lets him know that they have been found.   Samuel goes on to tell him that he is the hope of Israel and Saul is shocked at why Samuel would declare such a destiny on a man that is from not only the least of the tribes of Israel but the least of his clan also.    As you study call narratives you will often find that one of the recurring elements of the call is self-doubt.   God points a person out to do a specific task and the person feels that they are inadequate for the task and have to be assured by God that through God’s help they will be able to handle it.

In our lesson today, there is a part of it that just touches my heart every time I read it.   The text says that Samuel tells Saul that today he will eat with him and he tells the cook to bring the portion of meat that was laid aside for him and that was “kept for him until this day.”    Ohhhhhhhhhh………….   I don’t know if you got it.   But when I read that phrase……..   “kept for him until this day” it immediately reminds me of the providence of God.   There are things that have just been kept for us until the appointed time.    They just are……..    They have been laid aside, it has been prepared just for us.    And the day will come, when God will say;   “here is that which has been kept for you until this time.”   Your dreams, your calling, the door finally opening, the break that you have been looking for….  Ohhhhhhhh………..   Don’t you just love God.

This text is so encouraging to me.   Saul was doing his thing and had no idea that his life was about to change drastically and that God had been communicating on his behalf to the prophet Samuel concerning his destiny.     We just don’t know when life will change for us…. It could be any moment which is why every day we should wake up with expectancy and anticipation and be happy with whatsoever state that we are in.     Our frustrations in life many times come from the fact that we just don’t know how things are going to turn out when all the time, God has a plan and it has been kept for us until the set time.  

Okay……..  Our story ends with Samuel telling Saul the next day to allow his servant to go ahead of him because Samuel has a message from God for Saul.   Tomorrow, we will study what that message is.

Stay encouraged and don’t forget to pray and read God’s word daily.

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