Tag: 1 Samuel 9-10

I Believe… God Is King, and He Appoints the King We Need (Part 1)

1 Samuel 9-10Psalm 47Acts 28

-Devotion by Brian Froehlich (IL) – Brian has been writing devotions on his facebook page this year as he reads along with a chronological Bible reading plan. We will post Brian’s writing on 1 Samuel 9 & 10 today and 11 & 12 and summary tomorrow.

Let’s walk slowly, line by line, through 1 Samuel 9–12 and let the Bible explain itself.

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1 Samuel 9 – A Man Looking for Donkeys… and Finding a Kingdom

Saul is introduced while searching for lost donkeys (9:3).

That matters.

He is not chasing a throne.

He is not asking to lead.

He is walking through ordinary life.

But God tells Samuel ahead of time:

“About this time tomorrow I will send you a man…” (1 Samuel 9:16)

Saul thinks he is searching.

God says, “I am sending.”

This is how God works.

God is already acting as King—

directing people, setting appointments, moving history.

Saul meets Samuel.

Samuel tells him:

“All the desire of Israel is turned to you.” (9:20)

The people want a king.

And Saul looks like the answer.

He is:

• Tall (9:2)

• Impressive

• The kind of man people notice

Everything about him says:

“This is what we were looking for.”

But the question is not:

“Does he look right?”

The question is:

“Is he the one who can lead people back to God?”

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1 Samuel 10 – Chosen, Confirmed… and Hiding

Samuel anoints Saul (10:1).

God gives signs:

• Donkeys found (10:2)

• Bread provided (10:3–4)

• Spirit comes upon him (10:6)

Everything confirms:

God has chosen this man.

But then comes a strange moment.

When it is time to present the king:

“They looked for him, but he was not to be found… he has hidden himself among the supplies.” (10:21–22)

The king is hiding.

The man who stands tall in appearance

is small in confidence.

This is a warning.

A person can look ready

and still not be ready.

The people see his height.

God sees his heart.

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Tomorrow we will share the rest of Brian K Froehlich’s devotion on 1 Samuel 9-12 which he posted on his facebook page on April 11, 2026.

Reflection Questions

  1. Who do you recognize as chosen by God to be a leader in your life? Is there perhaps anyone else that you have overlooked or not accepted as God’s chosen?
  2. Have you ever been surprised by what role it might appear God has chosen you for?
  3. Have you ever wanted to run and hide when God called you to a job? Where should your confidence lie?

Prayer

Dear God, You are perfect and all Your ways are perfect. Help me see and know that You are the Ultimate King I need all the time. Thank you for selecting, anointing, and working through the human leaders You have chosen for my life. Show me, Lord, what job You desire me to do. Fill me with Your Spirit, prepare me, make me bold, keep my trust in You in all things. Thank you for Your Son Jesus and the job You have given him to reign.

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Called, Changed, Qualified

1 Samuel 9-12

Have you ever found yourself in a position totally unprepared or unqualified? When I was in college for my bachelor’s degree, I took Cellular & Molecular Biology as part of my program to become a secondary science teacher. It just so happened that this was the same course that was required for pre-med students. Somehow, I ended up getting an invitation to join a study group with these pre-med students. After 5 minutes with these people, I realized that they were a completely different caliber of student – I was so out of my depth.

There have been other times in my life when my own inexperience and inadequacies seemed to cast a blinding glare onto the responsibilities that I had to carry out. Even now, after 23 years of experience in education, there are times when I have no clue on how to handle a given situation.

This is how I relate to Saul being approached by Samuel to become king of Israel. His response is that he’s a nobody, from the smallest tribe and his clan is the least of all. How is it that he has been selected to rule over an entire nation?

But isn’t that just like God to do something like that? God seems to select those who are the most unlikely to be successful. Why does He do this? What I have learned, is that it makes me more dependent on God and less likely to take the credit.

Being part of the FUEL leadership team for many years, I have seen time and time again when a situation developed that was bigger than our resources and everything ended up working out because we depended on God. Anyone out there remember the year that we stopped going to Taylor University and started going to Manchester University? Yeah, we weren’t sure if FUEL was going to happen that year. But with a lot of prayer (and hard work by the directors) we were able to gather again because God pointed us in the direction we needed to go. God provided us with exactly the right site, to work with the best conference staff, to continue to return for many years.

I recently read a phrase that I think is appropriate here: “God doesn’t call the qualified; God qualifies the called.” If you’re willing to be used by God, you will find yourself in circumstances that seem way out of your league. While you may not be so confident in your abilities, know that God is more than able to see you through. After all, it’s His reputation on the line and God never fails.

Bethany Ligon

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on April 9. 2020)

Reflection Questions

  1. How did God prepare and qualify Saul? What do you think was included in God’s “heart change” for Saul (10:9) and the role of the Spirit of the Lord?
  2. From above: “God seems to select those who are the most unlikely to be successful. Why does He do this?”
  3. When have you felt unqualified for a job God sent you to? Did you do it? Did you have a “Samuel” who spoke God’s word to you? How did God change/prepare/qualify you for the job?
  4. How can you be a Samuel for someone else?
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