(By Ron Cantor) Over the years, I have heard many people tell of their great calling to be an apostle, prophet or to save gazillions through their ministry. Most of these never pan out. Those who are called to such things don’t speak about them or have them emblazoned on their business cards. Having said that, I saw something recently in 1 Samuel that blew me away. There is the calling, and then there is the commissioning. David was called when he was a boy, but he didn’t become king until much later. Same with King Saul.
How old do you think Saul was when he went looking for his father’s donkeys? This is important. If you read the story in 1 Samuel 9, the impression you get is that he was a young man, not married—maybe 20 years old or even younger. But when he is crowned king, he is 30. After unsuccessfully searching for his donkeys, his servant told him of Samuel the prophet. Saul doesn’t even know who Samuel is, and he is the leader of Israel. When Saul approaches him, he doesn’t realize that he is talking to Samuel. CONTINUE
