'No Hiding Places'

 

 

S –    1 Samuel 10:20

 

“When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen. 21 Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found. 22 So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage."

 

 

O -    In this scripture I see the account of how Saul was chosen by God to fulfill the people’s answer for a King. In the natural Saul was a stand out, tall and no doubt brave. However when it came time for him to step forward and respond to the anointing to be king, he was no where to be found. He is hiding among the baggage. No doubt his inadequacies, his inner fears maybe his lack of inner preparation took him to the baggage to hide rather than to the response of stepping up to be the King. I see though that God knew where he was and revealed his hiding place, so that he could be found and then to be brought to a proper place.

 

A -    I know if I give in to my inner fears, my inadequacies or my self perceptions it will always take me to a place of hiding. It can be comfortable to hide amongst the baggage of the familiar weaknesses and excuses that I can readily create around my life. Yet I know that I will never step up to be or do what God has for me while I hang on to the baggage as a place of refuge. Like Saul, God wants to come and expose my hiding places for what they are. Wrong places to hide and flee to rather than step into what He has planned and purposed. I know he wants to continually reveal the baggage in my life. Not so that it will condemn me or make me feel inadequate, but rather so that He can unpack it and replace it with gifts and strengths to fulfill a different mission. I need to be open to His identifying my baggage and allow Him to unpack it.

 

 

P -    Lord I thank you that you come to my hiding places. I thank you that you want to expose the baggage in my life and those wrong places I retreat to for my own protection and even solace. Help me to respond always with your courage and strength to whatever you have for me and not to be found hiding.