1 Samuel 9:1-5: a reflection

1Now there was a man of Benjamin, whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah, the son of a Benjamite, a mighty man of valor. 2He had a son whose name was Saul, an impressive young man; and there was not among the children of Israel a more handsome person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was taller than any of the people. 3The donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. Kish said to Saul his son, “Now take one of the servants with you, and arise, go look for the donkeys.” 4He passed through the hill country of Ephraim, and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they didn’t find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they weren’t there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they didn’t find them. 5When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come! Let’s return, lest my father stop caring about the donkeys and be anxious for us.”

The story of how Saul came to be king begins with something entirely ordinary: some lost donkeys. Saul's father's donkeys had strayed, and Saul was sent to look for them, a mundane errand, nothing that seemed to matter much. He and his servant searched through region after region without finding them. Yet this ordinary errand was the very thing God used to bring Saul to Samuel, and so to his calling as king. Through the mundane task of searching for lost donkeys, God was leading Saul to his destiny.

Notice how God used an ordinary, mundane errand to accomplish his purpose. There was nothing momentous about searching for lost donkeys; it was an everyday task, a chore. But this very errand led Saul, by paths he did not plan, to Samuel, who would anoint him king. God's purpose was worked out not through some grand event, but through a mundane errand that seemed to matter little. The ordinary task was the vehicle God used to lead Saul where he meant him to go.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can imagine that God works only through momentous events, not through the mundane tasks of ordinary life. We can go about our ordinary errands and chores as though they were mere trivia, unconnected to any larger purpose; but God led Saul to his calling through the mundane task of searching for donkeys. God can work his purposes through the ordinary, mundane tasks of your life, leading you by paths you do not plan. Do not despise the ordinary errands and tasks of your life as insignificant; God may be working through them, as he led Saul to his calling through a search for lost donkeys. Go about even your mundane tasks aware that God may be working his purposes through them, leading you where he means you to go, as he led Saul to Samuel through an ordinary errand that seemed to matter little.

Lord, the story of how Saul came to be king begins with something entirely ordinary: some lost donkeys. Saul's father's donkeys had strayed, and Saul was sent to look for them, a mundane errand, nothing that seemed to matter much. Yet this ordinary errand was the very thing you used to bring Saul to Samuel, and so to his calling as king. Through the mundane task of searching for lost donkeys, you were leading Saul to his destiny. Show me how you used an ordinary, mundane errand to accomplish your purpose. There was nothing momentous about searching for lost donkeys; it was an everyday task. But this very errand led Saul, by paths he did not plan, to Samuel, who would anoint him king. Your purpose was worked out not through some grand event, but through a mundane errand that seemed to matter little. Take that to my heart, for I can imagine that you work only through momentous events, not through the mundane tasks of ordinary life. I can go about my ordinary errands and chores as though they were mere trivia, unconnected to any larger purpose; but you led Saul to his calling through the mundane task of searching for donkeys. You can work your purposes through the ordinary tasks of my life, leading me by paths I do not plan. Keep me from despising the ordinary errands and tasks of my life as insignificant; you may be working through them, Lord. Help me go about even my mundane tasks aware that you may be working your purposes through them.