CHASING DONKEYS

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

 

Your Intersections and Your Destiny 1 Samuel 9

 Are you chasing after something of value . . . something important that seems to be out of your reach?  You’ve been looking everywhere for a very long time, but it’s not working out. So you become frustrated and are ready to quit. ... In 1 Samuel 9, Saul found himself in what appeared to be a hopeless situation. Saul’s father had a serious dilemma (verse 3): “Now the donkeys belonging to Saul’s father Kish were lost, and Kish said to his son Saul, ‘Take one of the servants with you and go and look for the donkeys.’”
A donkey was as common as you can get for ordinary life. They were beasts of burden used for transportation and carrying loads. They were necessary for life during those times, and for that reason, Saul's father needed to find them.
Saul is chasing these donkeys through several lands and couldn't find them. The fact that he is going throughout the lands tells you this is a significant attempt to find those donkeys. Donkeys were related to the family’s well-being – their livelihood. Although this was a major search, it was still an ordinary experience of life.
Saul gets tired of chasing donkeys; he’s ready to call it quits and go home. It looked as if his father sent him on a journey that has gone nowhere. Have you ever felt like that? You’re chasing after something and coming up with nothing. But little did Saul know that lost donkeys would become the key to his destiny - something that he never assumed would be tied to destiny because donkeys and destiny do not go together.
Then something happens. It is with the servant of Saul. The servant encourages Saul not to quit. The servant tells Saul there is a man of God, a prophet (who happens to be Samuel) in town that may be able to help them. You may ask why they want to worry a prophet about finding donkeys. When things don’t look good in the natural, that’s when you need a spiritual perspective. This is not a time to be a lone-ranger Christian. When you’re ready to throw in the towel, a friend is there to hold up your arms while giving you a word from God.
The day before Saul arrives to see Samuel, God lets Samuel know Saul's destiny. Saul had no clue that something extraordinary was about to happen. God introduced Saul to somebody that would give him his destiny – to become Israel’s king!  But Saul had to keep going in order to meet Samuel and discover his destiny. He could not quit.
You may want to quit, but keep going. Your donkey chase may be the key to your destiny. Remember, destiny is the place where God is taking you . . . the plan and purpose for which He redeemed you. You’ve reached the crossing of destiny when the natural intersects with the supernatural and where God is glorified and people benefit. As with Saul, you discover your destiny when God connects the ordinary (chasing donkeys) with the extraordinary (anointed as king). Keep pursuing what God has laid before you.