“Now a day before Saul’s coming, the Lord had informed Samuel… ‘You
shall anoint him as leader over My people.’”1 Samuel 9:15–16
It started with lost donkeys.
Saul’s father Kish sends him out to recover them—just another chore, just another day. Saul and his servant search through the hill country of Ephraim, through Shalishah, Shaalim, and the land of Zuph. **Four regions. Multiple days. No donkeys.** Just confusion and exhaustion. But God was moving.
As Saul prepares to give up and go home, his servant speaks up: “There’s a man of God in this city… maybe he can tell us which way to go.” They just “happen” to have a coin left between them—just enough to bring as an offering. They arrive in town just as the prophet Samuel is coming up the hill.
Except Samuel had already been told: “Tomorrow about this time I will send you a man…”\
Saul thought he was searching—but he was being sent. Every failed region, every turn of the road, every step of frustration was **a thread leading to a moment he didn’t even know was coming**.
God weaves even the misdirections.
By the next chapter, Samuel is anointing Saul with oil and saying, “Has not the Lord anointed you?” (1 Samuel 10:1) The road to that anointing looked nothing like destiny. It looked like a search party for farm animals. But God doesn’t need thunder to call someone. Sometimes, He just needs donkeys to go missing.
Your own life may feel random, ordinary, or meandering. But God may be directing you even in the detours. You may think you\’re chasing one thing when you\’re actually being led into calling.
The path might not make sense until the oil is poured.
Cross-References:
- Proverbs 16:9 — “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.”
- Romans 8:28 — “God causes all things to work together for good…”
- Psalm 32:8 — “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go…”
Questions for Reflection:
1. What parts of your current path feel like \”wandering after donkeys\”?
2. Could God be directing you toward something you don’t yet see?
3. Are you willing to trust divine leading even when it doesn’t feel spiritual?
Prayer Prompt:
Lord, I don’t want to overlook Your guidance just because it doesn’t look dramatic. Help me see Your hand in the detours. Lead me through the ordinary into the extraordinary purposes You’ve prepared. Amen.
This devotional is excerpted from Threads of the Miraculous by D.C. Robertsson.
