Out of the Baggage
I am away this week in the mountains of North Carolina with my favorite guy. (My husband) We have only been here for three days and I can already feel my soul begin to rest. The beauty of God’s creation is all around me and His words have been echoing in my heart. Yesterday was my birthday, I turned forty-four. According to my daughter Taylor, that is one year away from being five years away from being fifty. (What a sweet thought) I feel like God gave me a gift during my quiet time yesterday and I wanted to share it with you. So Happy Birthday to me and to You!
Yesterday's reading was on 1 Samuel 10. I want to give you a little back story. There was a man named Kish, who had a son named Saul. Kishs’ donkeys had gone missing and he sent his son Saul and a servant off to look for them. They searched many lands and could not find them. Saul’s servant told him of a prophet named Samuel who could tell them where to find them. So they set off to find Samuel. Now this was a total set up because God had already spoken to Samuel and told him of Saul and how he was to anoint him to be King of Israel. What?? Saul thought he was searching for donkeys yet God had another purpose for this chase. (That’s a message in itself). Crazy right!
Fast forward and Saul and Samuel have met, the donkey’s have been revealed to be safe back at home, and Samuel begins to reveal the heart of the Lord for Saul and how he has been chosen to be King over Israel. Samuel begins to tell him of all the signs that will happen to confirm the Word of the Lord and the Bible says that all these things take place, and that God gave Saul another heart. (A new heart) Now you would think that this would be enough to empower Saul and make him feel secure in this new calling. But it wasn’t.
Samuel is about to bring forth all the tribes of Israel to choose a King. Apparently God had revealed to him who it would be but they still had to work the process. All of the finest men from each tribe were represented and taken by lot, Saul being one of them. But when they went to look for Saul he could not be found. It says that they inquired of the Lord to where he was, and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” (ESV) Saul was HIDING! In the BAGGAGE!
Recap. God had sent Saul on a donkey chase. Saul meets Samuel in the process thinking that he’s there to get clarification on the donkeys, when really Samuel is there to speak over his life that Saul will be King. Signs and wonders then HAPPEN to CONFIRM the word of the Lord. God gives Saul a new heart and he begins to prophesy to those around him. And now when the time comes to choose a King, Saul is HIDING?
Now this is my favorite part. It shows Saul’s humanity. God has been with him on this whole journey yet when the time comes to be set apart as King, he hides. I can relate to Saul. Can you? Saul just wanted to find his father’s donkeys, not become the King of Israel. Yet, he was God’s chosen man for this season. Saul had to have felt scared or unqualified to hide in the baggage.
I want to give you another meaning of “hide in the baggage.” As we were driving through the mountains yesterday I was thinking about this text. Saul literally hid in baggage, like supplies. But how many times do we “hide in our baggage.” We know God has placed dreams in our heart or has called us to a higher standard but we feel comfortable hiding. Safe where no one can see us, touch us, hurt us, judge us, but yet God saw Saul in the baggage and knew his purpose and called him out. It’s crazy to think sometimes we would rather stay stuck in our junk than trust where the Lord is taking us. I have done that for years. I have never been a dreamer and have always felt like others' purposes were greater than mine. I have stayed stuck in anxiety and depression for seasons always feeling God didn’t see me. But He did. He saw me in my baggage just as he saw Saul in his. And He loves me because I am His, not because of any other reason.
The enemy would want nothing more than to keep you stuck. But you have a purpose, and God has set you apart. No matter where you are in your life, God has given you a voice. A voice to encourage those around you, a voice to speak life over situations, a voice to declare His name, a voice to lead your children in the ways of the Lord, a voice to speak to friends that are in dark places, a voice to drown out the noise of this world and direct people to a life of Hope in Jesus. Your voice matters. Come out of the baggage today and know that He has set you apart for His purpose.