Little people for big jobs

Now on the previous day the LORD had told Samuel, ‘Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man from the tribe of Benjamin; anoint him as ruler of my people Israel, and he will rescue them from the Philistines. I have seen the suffering of my people and have heard their cries for help.’ When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the LORD said to him, ‘This is the man I told you about. He will rule my people.’ (verses 15-17)

Read 1 Samuel 9:15 – 10:1

I have met some extraordinary people who are regarded as being very important to their work colleagues, their families and their church. I have also met some extraordinarily gifted people who have started to believe their own press and fallen for the trap of enormous self-centredness.

This human propensity to choose ourselves before others is well known by God. He chose a man from the smallest tribe and the least important family in the pecking order of that tribe to be his king. He showed here and all through the Bible that he chooses little people for big jobs.

I take great comfort in the way God chooses people for his work in the world. If he didn’t choose people that others think are weak, limited and insignificant, then I wouldn’t be chosen and neither would you. Praise the Lord for choosing all of us weak people to share in the kingly rule of Jesus, the king of the world!

Father in heaven, thank you for choosing me to be your faithful servant to other people. Give me wisdom and compassion to choose to be near the least important people around me. Through Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

by Adrian Kitson, in ‘Renewed Hope for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2000)

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