“The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Obey their voice and make them a king…’ Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul his son, ‘Take one of the young men with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.’ And he passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. And they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there… When they came to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant, ‘Come, let us go back…’ But he said to him, ‘There is a man of God in this city, who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. Let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go…’ As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, ‘Is the seer here?’ They answered, ‘He is; just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place…’ As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them…
“Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed to Samuel: ‘Tomorrow about this time I will send to you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people Israel…’ When Samuel saw Saul, the LORD told him, ‘Here is the man of whom I spoke to you!..’ Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said, ‘Has not the LORD anointed you to be prince over his people Israel? And you shall reign over the people of the LORD.'” 1 Samuel 8:22; 9:3-6,11-12,14-17; 10:1
Lost donkeys? Unable to be located in several regions? A servant who knows a prophet in this particular city, the fifth they’d reached in their search? Women drawing water at just that place and moment? Samuel arriving for a scheduled sacrifice that very day? God’s preparing Samuel the prior day with specific instructions? There are no coincidences or surprises with the LORD. Like a conductor, our God knows the whole piece of music, ordains how all the parts fit together, the timing and nuances, crescendos and largos and melodies, and in grand perfection orchestrates every performer and instrument and voice to make His symphony.
With our limited sight and provincial living, we can get narrowed into considering and fretting over small incidences, making big concerns out of mere pieces of a much larger life that God is designing for us. Am I letting inconsequential annoyances, setbacks, difficulties, obstacles eat away at my expectation for (and submitting to) God’s greater purposes? Or does the concern of how it all works prevent me from joyful delight in a single intrument’s lovely strain, of the significance and meaning of the facets of His character God reveals every day, as part of His big plan? Will I raise my eyes from the petty to seek and worship and trust the Master Conductor, Who over all things wondrously reigns? (Psalm 22:28)
LORD, keep me trusting Your sovereign baton, attuned to Your marvelous music, adoring Your masterful ways.
As the rain and snow 