“Now Samuel called the people together to the Lord at Mizpah. 18 And he said to the people of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of all the kingdoms that were oppressing you.’ 19 But today you have rejected your God, who saves you from all your calamities and your distresses, and you have said to him, ‘Set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the Lord by your tribes and by your thousands.'” 1 Samuel 10:17-19 (ESV)
Samuel gathered the people of Israel to confront their reality and to position them for their future. He had a word from the Lord to deliver directly to them. Samuel reminded the people of Israel of God’s faithfulness and reminded them of God’s provision of deliverance from the hand of the Egyptians. It was time for Samuel to go public on God’s plan to raise up Saul to be their king and to deliver them from the Philistines.
God used Samuel in the process to prepare Saul for the new assignment God had for him. Saul was simply searching the countryside to recover some of his father’s lost donkeys. God had an awesome adventure awaiting Saul that he would have never imagined for his own life.
The sovereignty of God is demonstrated through Israel’s history and throughout your own personal life. Think of where you are right now and consider all that God has done to see you through the ages and stages of your life. God rules and reigns and nothing can thwart His will. God will accomplish His plan and He will develop you in the process. Submit to His prompting and trust His timing.
Chronological Bible Reading Plan: (Day 100: 1 Samuel 9-12 )
Pursuing God,
Stephen Trammell
Executive Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell