Leaving the Baggage Behind
Leaving the Baggage Behind
Words of Faith 9-12-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 10
[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." [23] They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others. [24] Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!" [25] Samuel explained to the people the regulations of the kingship. He wrote them down on a scroll and deposited it before the LORD. Then Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home. [26] Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, accompanied by valiant men whose hearts God had touched. [27] But some troublemakers said, "How can this fellow save us?" They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul kept silent.
Just when you think this story can't get any odder, it does!
This was the biggest day of his life for the tall kid from Kish. Giving in to the people's demands for a worldly king, Samuel anointed Saul for the task. Samuel led the people through the selection process to confirm this. But when it came time for his big debut and introduction to the nation, he could not be found. Where was he?
The first king of Israel was not waiting in a staging area to ride into town on a white horse. He wasn't getting briefed or prepared for the coronation. He wasn't scheduling meetings with diplomatic leaders. He was... hiding among the baggage.
Hiding among the baggage? Are you serious? Yes. Hiding among the baggage.
Some suggest that this was indicative of Saul's unassuming humility and that he was attempting to avoid the glare of publicity. However, in the following few verses, it is revealed that there were men who were already opposed to his leadership. He could probably overhear the troublemakers questioning his ability to save the nation. Perhaps he was already hiding from his opponents. Paranoia would eventually be one of his biggest battles.
Whatever the case, Saul was finally coaxed out of his hiding place. He was introduced to his subjects as he stood a head taller than anyone around. He may have been squinting and blinking in the glare of the moment, but then Samuel gave the endorsement-- "There is no one like him among all the people." Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!" So Samuel explained to the people the regulations that came with having a king.
The big deal was that it was now time for Saul to do what God had planned for him to do, whether this was the best plan or not. Even if this was a concession to the people's faulty demands, Saul now had to step out of the baggage and become king.
The big truth here? We can all find ourselves in a situation not unlike this one. There comes a time when we have to step out from among the baggage of the past. There comes a time when we have to leave the past behind our insecurities and step into what God has planned for right now, whether it seems well conceived or not. We cannot live in the past. We cannot hide amid the stuff of the past. We cannot lurk among the critics or listen in on the troublemakers. We must step out. We must leave the baggage behind. We must move forward.
Father God, help me see the present for what it is. Help me see the possibilities that You have put before me. Help me step out from the baggage of my past and step into the future You have for me. Help me cast aside the grumblings of troublemakers and the aspersions of critics. Help me move forward. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.