1 Samuel 9 ~ Behold

1 Samuel 9

6 But he said to him, “Behold, there is a man of God in this city, and he is a man who is held in honor; all that he says comes true. So now let us go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go.”






8 The servant answered Saul again, “Here, I have with me a quarter of a shekel of silver, and I will give it to the man of God to tell us our way.” 9 (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, “Come, let us go to the seer,” for today's “prophet” was formerly called a seer.)

10 And Saul said to his servant, “Well said; come, let us go.” So they went to the city where the man of God was.

11 As they went up the hill to the city, they met young women coming out to draw water and said to them, “Is the seer here?”

12 They answered, “He is; behold, he is just ahead of you. Hurry. He has come just now to the city, because the people have a sacrifice today on the high place. 13 As soon as you enter the city you will find him, before he goes up to the high place to eat. For the people will not eat till he comes, since he must bless the sacrifice; afterward those who are invited will eat. Now go up, for you will meet him immediately.”

14 So they went up to the city. As they were entering the city, they saw Samuel coming out toward them on his way up to the high place.



So Samuel anoints Saul. Why was there ever a time period of Saul? Saul would begin to ignore the one who anointed him and try out being king. Saul was anointed king so why shouldn't Saul be king. And eventually Saul is so enamored with being king - priests would be slaughtered for feeding David. Why wasn't the time of Judges extended until the people were ready for King David.

Because we are important to God. He does not erase His People and His Creation to create ease upon the earth.

We are given gifts. Samuel shook with fear to anoint David - after all Samuel had anointed Saul. Samuel - seer of God - had not seen David. God had seen David. He had given Saul the prodigal life. God gave David the prodigal life. And some of our greatest challenges are at the top and the desire for more. And the challenges are for Noah - after he has completed the task God has given him and he is deciding "is Noah really happy?"



On rare occasions God has found exactly what God hopes to see. The faith of a Word of God in the Roman centurion. The humility of the Canaanite woman who would take the scraps under God's table. The man who saw in Jesus the Love God is.

Mark 12
32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”



When we wonder at the sequence of Saul. When we doubt the gift of Samuel. We are over looking God's plan. We have more answers than God. Like Saul did. Like David did. Like Noah did.

We have devalued the process of God. We have failed to grasp Jesus came to die for me. Jesus died for you. Not the collective. The Word of God is for you. The attributes and gifts God has are in me. Are in you. We are indeed part of the Body of Christ. We just do not have the ability to say what God does is not what we'd do if we were God. Lately I have not attached molecules and created water or life.

We have to value life. God's Plan. Lately, I have been considering my body makes benign tumors since I was 17. Only one medical test I've had shown poor liver function. I'm not a drinker. And I have sat and considered why this should be. I have no family history of this. The memory took years to rediscover. A dear family friend I'd grown up, Geeg, invited me to swim with a girl - it was the summer we were all going into 5th grade - 1974 - who had recovered from a year and a half of Hepatitis. She no longer was jaundiced at all but her friends had all abandoned her. Her liver function numbers went up and down. We had never met her before, but both sets of our parents discussed this and decided the young girl needed to be supported. We were the 3 girls who swam all afternoon long. Shared French Fries. And as I was not looking - we had all agreed not to share beverages - she had sipped from my straw on my soft drink. It had been emotional. This young girl cried and said it was right, she was well. I swam in the chlorinated water and washed out all my mouth and throat. This young girl went off to the ladies room and my life long friend was in tears and we said a prayer for health.( A long ago family friend was a liver specialist and he said livers can just decide to quit). The next week this young girl, I met only once, died when her tired liver suddenly deciding to leave this earth.

After remembering this - for a year, I have been upset with this 5th grade girl. Suddenly. And now I have decided the mercy was more important. And she may have given me a gift. I was studied in my 40s for an afternoon at MD Anderson - why I've had 4 benign breast cysts/tumors. We have had breast cancer in my family on my paternal side. Perhaps - the gift is my liver makes benign tumors. Something you think upon in the process of benign arm cysts. Maybe I will in old age come to Heaven and find this 5th grade girl and throw my arms around her and thank her.



We love to say and it's politically easy to say "Life is a Journey".

1 Samuel 9
27 As they were going down to the outskirts of the city, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to pass on before us, and when he has passed on, stop here yourself for a while, that I may make known to you the word of God.”


Even Samuel. Even Saul. Even David. Should look to Jesus and want to be close to our Father. John walking with Jesus found God to be "God of Love". And avoid the pitfalls of Continual Blessing, place of honor, place of envy, physical tiredness and hard work in life. Rejoicing in Jesus from Mark's Gospel 7th Chapter - a woman, a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth could hold Jesus in conversation. And find His Love.

Mark 7 and Jesus 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears.


Jesus is our Savior. A very personal tender, loving Savior. The Plan of God's is His. And His Purpose has good for us all.

Jesus has shown He continues with us. The Syrophoenician believed in the Goodness of God's Will. The Centurion believed God was good and easily capable. The man who Loved God with all his heart saw God as mercy. And this is the Strength of God is Joy. Believing is pleasing to God. Even the father who looked upon Jesus and asked, "I believe, help me to have more faith!" Jesus had compassion upon his love and faith.




Abba our Father,

Our Joy is to invite Jesus in this prayer and encourage the Strength of the Holy Spirit You place in all of us.

To place before You the desires of our heart and wait to see Your answers. To place my son going far from home into Your Love. To pray for the end of cysts and tumors. To believe.

Psalm 40 says to wait Patiently for God and He will hear my cry. With confidence we will approach Father God in His Heaven in our prayers. And believe we will not be the angry man healed after 38 years by the Pool of Bethsaida. And will be the Child of God who heeds His care and love.

Praying for those we love and have been asked to pray for. Knowing very well, many things are far beyond our reach.

Isaiah 54:13
All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and
great shall be the peace of your children.

Upon our prayer concerns and for those we know pray - seeing our prayers stretch with all the faithful across this Creation God calls good - Father God to lift His Countenance as His Smile gives us His own Peace, continually Cover us in the Name of Jesus and Bless us considering the vast Peace of God Himself.

And asking all the Willingness of You, our Loving Father to pour out Blessings!

Thank You, Jesus, in You our Amen.

♔ Lord Jesus Saves!  †