Devotionals by Dr. M. Craig Barnes
The Lord said, "See, he has hidden himself among the baggage." --
When he was young, Saul didn't want to be king. When the lot fell to him, he even hid hoping he could escape the call to leadership. But the Lord has a way of getting what he wants, so he tells everyone exactly where Saul is hiding. Maybe it was because he felt inadequate, or because he had other plans for his life, but clearly the young Saul was a very reluctant leader.
All good leaders are reluctant. That isn't just because they have counted the high cost. More importantly, it is because they have no personal need to be in leadership. But those are exactly the people God always chooses. If you need to be in leadership, you're of little use to God because you will do anything to stay in leadership. You'll even stop listening to God.
That's how Saul later gets into great trouble, and it's how our leaders get into trouble as well. If we can't walk away from being leaders, we were never serving God who alone is the necessary leader. We are not necessary. That's true for politicians, CEOs, teachers and clergy. It's also true for parents who have to let their children leave home.
We have no record of Saul ever throwing himself before the Lord in prayer. The only times he worshiped was to get God to do something for him. He never asks God to do something to him, change his character, or make him a man after God's own heart. So God found another leader.
-- Craig Barnes