Saul's Servant Did Not Give Up!

Passage to be read: 1 Samuel 09: 01 - 13

But the servant answered, "A man of God is in this town. 

People respect him because everything he says comes true. 

Let's get into the town now. 

Maybe he can tell us something about the journey we have taken.

( 1 Samuel 09: 06 )

God calls us to be active members in His mission. As people who serve a living God, we are called to work with faith, keep ourselves active throughout and also to encourage others in the same mission to continue their walk of faith. A lot of times, we are called to be catalysts in the faith walk of many others; helping them to progress in their journey by helping them not to give up in times of struggles, hardships and tiring moments. And that's a faithful servanthood!

In the passage we have read above, we find an interesting narration of a journey; a journey that determined Israel's history. Saul, the chosen one by God to be the first king of Israel, sets forth in a journey in search of his father's donkeys that were lost. His father had told him to take one of the servants and go in search of the donkeys. 

So that's interesting. The young man Saul is accompanied by one of his father's servants. My dear friends, what thrilled me so much is that, Saul's father did not just ask him to take one the servants out of his wisdom, but it was in God's plan that this servant should accompany Saul in this journey. This journey was unique for both Saul and the whole Israel and God purposefully had a servant in the agenda; a servant who never gives up and is able to lead his boss towards faith. 

So the story continues as this..

Saul went through the mountains of Ephraim and the land of Shalisha, but he and the servant could not find the donkeys. They went into the land of Shaalim, but the donkeys were not there. They went through the land of Benjamin, but they still did not find them. When they arrived in the area of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, “Let’s go back or my father will stop thinking about the donkeys and will start worrying about us” (1 Samuel 9: 4,5). 

So tiring isn't it? At the verge of an unsuccessful mission. Such a prolonged search and nothing to be found. The human minds would give up, the physique would lose the throttle and yes, any human being with sensibilities would turn and say the same thing. Would worry more about the people who had sent them than the things that have been concluded as 'lost'!

But what did this unnamed and insignificant servant do? 

The Bible says, "the servant answered, “A man of God is in this town. People respect him because everything he says comes true. Let’s go into the town now. Maybe he can tell us something about the journey we have taken” (1 Samuel 9: 6). Look at that influential servant!  He was not aware of how this little suggestion is going to change the life and history of his people, but he did one thing diligently; he ensured that his boss goes for advice from God at this crucial moment. It did not just stop with this suggestion. The servant had to do something more; something sacrificial. 

The Bible says, "... Saul said to his servant, “If we go into the town, what can we give him? The food in our bags is gone. We have no gift to give him. Do we have anything?” Again the servant answered Saul. “Look, I have one-tenth of an ounce of silver. Give it to the man of God. Then he will tell us about our journey.” Saul said to his servant, “That’s a good idea. Come, let’s go.” So they went toward the town where the man of God was. 

Isn't that more interesting? The servant did not stop with suggesting and encouraging his boss in faith, but he also helped him with a generous giving; giving the little what he could give, and we know that it was big contribution. This little attempt by this servant took Saul all the way to what we read in the latter part of the passage. It just paved the way for God's plan to happen. Saul met Samuel. God's plan was done. And Israel had its first king! 

Even today, God call us to be so. We may not be called for the work of the king or the work of a prophet, but as a servant who silently, faithfully and sacrificially influences the lives of the people around us towards God's way. In moments when people are about to give up on their walk of faith and on their journey of ministering, we are called to step in and make the change. And God loves it when we, as His servants, drive people towards Him, towards His way and towards His purpose.

I pray that God will lead each and everyone of us to be faithful servants who drive the people around us towards God and see God's plan being done on this earth. 

May God bless you.

Yours in Christ,