Looking for Donkeys

Today I’d like to share something that is going to encourage you in your purpose and help you to not only finish your race, but to have endurance in the middle - especially if you don’t feel like you’re making progress or getting to the level you know you’re meant to get to.

1 Samuel 9:1–6 NKJV

1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. 3 Now the donkeys of Kish, Saul’s father, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, “Please take one of the servants with you, and arise, go and look for the donkeys.” 4 So he passed through the mountains of Ephraim and through the land of Shalisha, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them. 5 When they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, “Come, let us return, lest my father cease caring about the donkeys and become worried about us.” 6 And he said to him, “Look now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man; all that he says surely comes to pass. So let us go there; perhaps he can show us the way that we should go.”

1 Samuel 9:14–20 NKJV

14 So they went up to the city. As they were coming into the city, there was Samuel, coming out toward them on his way up to the high place. 15 Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying, 16 “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin, and you shall anoint him commander over My people Israel, that he may save My people from the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come to Me.” 17 So when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him, “There he is, the man of whom I spoke to you. This one shall reign over My people.” 18 Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, “Please tell me, where is the seer’s house?” 19 Samuel answered Saul and said, “I am the seer. Go up before me to the high place, for you shall eat with me today; and tomorrow I will let you go and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 But as for your donkeys that were lost three days ago, do not be anxious about them, for they have been found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on you and on all your father’s house?”

Saul was doing something very natural (under submission and authority), but walks right into something absolutely supernatural and full of destiny!

John 2:5 AMP

5 His mother said to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it.

WHATEVER Jesus tells you to do - DO!

***especially if it doesn’t bring you fame or recognition from people.

Genesis 2:15–22 NKJV

15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” 18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.

Faithfulness does not look flashy & appealing, but faithfulness is the avenue to God’s promotion.

here’s the secret.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 NKJV

10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going.

Whatever God has you doing, do it with all your might for as long as He has you there.

Luke 12:42–43 NKJV

42 And the Lord said, “Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? 43 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.

Why We Fight Faithfulness

Numbers 24:10–13 NKJV

10 Then Balak’s anger was aroused against Balaam, and he struck his hands together; and Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have bountifully blessed them these three times! 11 Now therefore, flee to your place. I said I would greatly honor you, but in fact, the Lord has kept you back from honor.” 12 So Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also speak to your messengers whom you sent to me, saying, 13 ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’?

Balak actually told Balaam that following the Lord stopped him from stepping into immediate blessing.

Sometimes we can feel like God is the one that is somehow holding us back from blessing.

BUT...

Jesus literally died to give us an abundant life!!!

Psalm 84:11 NKJV

11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly.

When God says, “No” it’s not to withhold blessing, it’s to withhold the curse.

Delay doesn’t mean denial!

God’s Way vs. The World’s Way to Promotion

The world says to draw attention to yourself - God says to esteem others more highly than yourself.

Philippians 2:3 NKJV

3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

Psalm 75:6–7 CJB

7 For you will not be raised to power by those in the east, the west or the desert; 8 since God is the judge; and it is he who puts down one and lifts up another.

One of the best things that can happen is not effective self-promotion, but others & God Himself promoting you.

Romans 8:31 NKJV

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

If God gives you something, ONLY God can take it away.

Remember: How you attain it is how you’ll need to maintain it.

Just One Thing:

Instead of striving for a title and position, let’s determine to be obedient & faithful like Saul and just keep “looking for donkeys”!

Discussion Questions:

How do you make yourself sleep when you can’t seem to get to sleep?

Have you ever felt like God was holding you back from blessing? Please share your story. How, if at all, did this sermon help you to understand that situation through God’s perspective?

Please read Philippians 2:3 and share what this scripture means to you and how you can put it into action in your life right away.

Have you been faithful to what God has instructed you to do? Do you find that you are trusting Him to bring you into promotion, or have you been striving for your own success? Please share