Chasing Donkeys

By Alessandra Velsor

“The servant answered him again. ‘Look,’ he said, ‘I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.’(Formerly in Israel, if someone went to inquire of God, they would say, ‘Come, let us go to the seer,’ because the prophet of today used to be called a seer.) ‘Good,’ Saul said to his servant. ‘Come, let’s go.’ So they set out for the town where the man of God was. As they were going up the hill to the town, they met some young women coming out to draw water, and they asked them, ‘Is the seer here?’ ‘He is,’ they answered. ‘He’s ahead of you. Hurry now; he has just come to our town today, for the people have a sacrifice at the high place. As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not begin eating until he comes, because he must bless the sacrifice; afterward, those who are invited will eat. Go up now; you should find him about this time.’ They went up to the town, and as they were entering it, there was Samuel, coming toward them on his way up to the high place. Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: ‘About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him ruler over my people Israel; he will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines.I have looked on my people, for their cry has reached me.’”—"1 Samuel 9:1–16 (NIV)

When I first started working in our church restaurant, I never thought I’d end up falling in love with my husband Kenny. It was 2009, the year of a writer’s strike. There were no media jobs to apply to and many in the industry were being laid off. I had just graduated college with a degree in Broadcast Communications. I was frantically looking for a job, so I applied to be a server until I had a better idea of what to do next.

This one setback led me to make one of the greatest decisions of my life! Who knew that the cute chef who handed me money to buy him a beverage would be the beginning of our love story? Sadly, I forgot to buy him the beverage because I got busy with my section and he later accused me of “stealing,” but that didn’t stop him from pursuing me!

Today’s chapter starts like a bad joke, and it’s proof that God has a great sense of humor! A powerful Benjamite man sends his tall and extremely good-looking son on a meaningless mission to find his lost donkeys. The Lord uses donkeys to bring Saul to Samuel. Saul’s servant thinks they should consult with a prophet to help them find the donkeys.

Just like the circumstances that led me to work at the restaurant, the donkeys getting lost is surely not a coincidence. God knew Saul’s servant would make the suggestion to seek Samuel’s prophetic gift. And so, there are two sides to this story: As Saul and his servant desperately look for the donkeys, God’s already at work preparing Samuel’s heart for the visit he’s about to receive.

So far, all we know about this new soon-to-be king is his good appearance, his great height, and his family’s wealth, but there’s nothing telling of his faith in God. It’s believed Saul reflects the spiritual state of Israel at that time, which means he’s not where he needs to be spiritually.

When Kenny and I finally got together, we shared our stories and recognized God’s providence in our lives. We realized how God placed people around us to encourage us to make choices that would lead us to the same place at the right time. Neither of us knew we’d find love by making the decisions we made prior to meeting each other.

When you’re discouraged with your current state or you feel you’re doing insignificant work, remember that when Saul was out there looking for donkeys, God was planning to make him the next king of Israel. You may think it’s about the donkeys, but this story is about God answering the cries of His people by appointing them a king—a king who would later defeat the Philistines and protect Israel from their enemy. God’s ultimate desire is for all of us to know who He is, to grow closer to Him, and to love Him despite our circumstances.

Next time you think He’s not answering you, remember that while God is building an eternal kingdom, we might be out there chasing after donkeys.

Pause: Reread 1 Samuel 9:1–16.

Practice: Write down any instances in your life you thought were coincidences but were actually God’s providence.

Pray: Father, thank You for reminding me today that every moment counts. What I may think is insignificant and small, You might be using to bring me closer to You. Open my eyes to recognize Your providence more. Thank You that Your plans in my life have turned out so much better than my own. Thank You for holding me in my disappointments and frustrations over lost donkeys, but this whole time You’ve been getting my attention to turn my gaze towards You. God, I want to trust You more with every step I take in the path You’ve laid out before me. Amen.