Lost: Donkeys… Found: Kingdom

I was struck again today at how our God uses the small, seemingly insignificant minutiae of our lives to mold us, to shape us, to grow us… and to glorify Himself. We have such a wonderful, strange, unknowable, un-figure-out-able God!

This is all over the Bible. But one example is in 1 Samuel 9. It’s a typical day in the life of a farmer… who loses his donkeys. So his son, Saul, goes looking for them with a servant. They look, and look. No donkeys. So one says, ‘Hey, I’ve heard there’s a prophet in the town nearby where we’ve ended up, let’s go ask him where the donkeys are.’

Well, how random can the Bible get? Donkey searches? What does grace have to do with donkeys that can’t be found?

Because the account in 1 Samuel then notes, ‘Now the Lord had told Samuel (the prophet) in his ear the day before Saul came…’ (9:15). That’s right. The day before, the Lord had arranged it all.

So what appeared as a random act of lost donkeys (who unlocked the gate!?!) actually was absolutely planned by God. And Saul, in looking for his donkeys, is brought to Samuel to be annointed king of Israel.

He does that, our Savior. He uses insignificant events and daily life to move and grow and bless us. He uses seemingly insignificant events to bring about His purposes.

Proverbs 16:9 says “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
Proverbs 20:24 echoes, “A man’s steps are of the Lord.”

What’s happening with your donkeys today? Is not God in charge of you, graciously using the circumstances of your life for your good? Our Lord is so fantastically, providentially good to us!

So in reality there is no such thing as an insignificant day, no boring, unprofitable hours for the believer. May that not drain us (Oh no, God is watching!) but may our Lord’s providential grace expand our hearts as we rest in the goodness and love of our Savior.