I Samuel 9:22
“Then Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall and gave them a place at the head of those who were invited, who were about thirty men.”
What a surprise this must have been to Saul. He had just finished saying he wasn’t a man of significance. Now he has the seat of honor. This is what the Lord does. I Peter 5:6 says, “Be humbled therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time”. We aren’t to seek fame, nor are we to promote ourselves. Emptiness is at the end of that path. It’s God that exults us in His time and in the manner He chooses.
He wants us to be faithful in the task He gives us. The parable of the talents in illustrates this (Matthew 23). He gives us a small amount. As we are responsible, He gives us more. With the entire process, He honors us.
What kinds of things are we talking about? It could be skills, personality gifts, volunteering our time, our patient manner, our outgoing manner, our work, and so on. The Lord chooses the parts of our lives that He wants to prosper.
This works best when we are yielded to Him. Proverbs 14:14 says, “The backslider in heart will have the fill of his own ways, but a good man will be rewarded for his.” When we have our own agenda, we are often frustrated and unfruitful. It can take a decade for us to put aside our own goals. Jesus offers the correct prayer in Luke 22:42, “not my will, but Thine be done”. It’s ok to follow our dreams, but we need to offer it to Him, “Thy will be done”. As we follow Him, He puts new dreams in our hearts. As we pursue them, He blesses some and causes others to extinguish.
As we offer ourselves to Him, our lives become much more successful and our hearts get more full. Matthew 11:29 says, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.” We take on His agenda and He gives us rest. If we don’t feel rested, then we probably aren’t in His way.
As we follow Him, He blesses us and gives us favor. This is what Saul experienced at the seat of honor. As Peter said, He “exalts us in due time”. David said something similar in Psalm 23, “Though preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies”. He blesses those that obey Him. He gets honor by giving us honor. Our lives are to point others to Him.
This was His plan for ancient Israel. He wanted to bless them, so all the world could see what happens to the nation whose God is the Lord.
Lord, thank You for the blessings and honor that You give us. Help us to remain in Your way.