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Day 76, or March the seventeenth. Is there a job outstanding, waiting for you?

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Our thought today is from 1 Samuel chapter 9 verse 16. About this time tomorrow I will

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send you a man from the land of Benjamin, anoint him ruler over my people Israel. He

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will deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked on my people, for their cry

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has reached me.

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First the big picture surrounding this verse. Despite his better judgment, Samuel does as

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God commands, and anoint Saul as the first king of Israel. He is tall and handsome, but

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if that's all you can say about him, then he doesn't say much. He passes his initiation

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test as the Ammonites are defeated, and the people demand he is made king. They are convinced

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that this is the man who will lead them to success. Samuel tells them Saul is already

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anointed as king, and the people are so pleased. You would think it was the end of their troubles,

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whereas it was really only the beginning.

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And now today's action step. The first king of Israel was a man called Saul. He was chosen

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by God. In fact, that is what his name means. He was chosen to conquer the Philistines,

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and so released the land to the Israelites, just as it was promised to their father Abraham.

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He did try, but never had the heart for the job, and his task was sadly left unfinished.

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How sad it is when a footballer or cricketer is selected to do a specific job for his team,

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and he doesn't fulfil the role. This can often be simply a mistake by the selectors.

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It's even worse when God, who never makes mistakes, gives you a job, plus a promise

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to be with you and help you, and you fail to trust him and try. Some people struggle

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the whole of their lives with this big issue of, have I fulfilled the task God has entrusted

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to me? This may be a timely reminder for you that God has something for all of us to do

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as part of his church. If you are unfulfilled, it could be that the job God has given you

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is unfulfilled. Search your heart, and if you sense there is a job, large or small,

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that God has given you, just do it.