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Hiding Among the Baggage
by Steve Troxel (Steve's bio)
[Note: If you'd like to read more from Steve, be sure to visit God's Daily Word.]
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When Samuel became too old to be an effective judge, the leaders of Israel asked for a new kind of ruler: "Appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have." (1 Samuel 8:5). This request was an indication of the sad decline of God's people. By requesting a king, they were rejecting God's plan and choosing the ways of the world.
God was disappointed with the heart of His Children, but He granted their request and told Samuel to anoint Saul as Israel's first king. Saul was "an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites - a head taller than any of the others." (1 Samuel 9:2). Saul's external appearance was a perfect match for the superficial values of the nation.
When Samuel spoke with Saul, he was quite surprised to hear he had been chosen by God: "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?" (1 Samuel 9:21). Saul's insecurities were so great that when it came time to officially anoint him as king, he was nowhere to be found.
1 Samuel 10:22
"So they inquired further of the Lord, 'Has the man come here yet?' And the Lord said, 'Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage.'"
Although Saul made many mistakes as king, we must not forget he was specifically chosen by God and greatly empowered to do His will. But Saul lived with a great sense of inadequacy. He continually focused on his own limitations rather than on the limitless ability of the One who called him to serve.
Each of us who enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are also chosen to do His will - and we have been empowered by His Spirit to accomplish everything He desires for our life: "His divine power has given us everything we need." (2 Peter 1:3). Unfortunately, most of us enter into this relationship carrying bags from our past which greatly weigh us down and hinder our ability to serve.
What baggage are we still carrying? What things from the past are we still using to hide from God's call? Past sins and failures can make us feel terribly unworthy, and broken relationships can cause long term pain - but NOTHING must keep us from doing His will. He is calling each of us to do a mighty work. Let's trust Him with all our heart and answer the call today...let's stop hiding among the baggage.
Copyright 2001, Steve Troxel. All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.
| About Steve Troxel: Steve Troxel is the President of God's Daily Word Ministries. Steve was trained as an Electrical Engineer and received his PhD in 1994. After working as a researcher in a laser laboratory for several years, Steve felt the call from God to leave his trained profession and enter into full-time ministry. His devotionals are now sent around the world via email as well as distributed in book format. More information about this ministry as will as a "sign-up" page can be found at: http://www.godsdailyword.org |
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