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Day 76, or March the 17th. Is there a job outstanding,

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waiting for you? Our thought today is from 1

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Samuel chapter 9, verse 16. About this time tomorrow,

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I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin.

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Anoint him ruler over my people Israel. He will

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deliver them from the hand of the Philistines.

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I have looked on my people. for their cry has

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reached me. First, the big picture surrounding

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this verse. Despite his better judgment, Samuel

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does as God commands and anoints Saul as the

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first king of Israel. He is tall and handsome,

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but if that's all you can say about him, then

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it doesn't say much. He passes his initiation

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test as the Ammonites are defeated, and the people

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demand he is made king. They are convinced that

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this is the man who will lead them to success.

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Samuel tells them Saul is already anointed as

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king, and the people are so pleased. You would

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think it was the end of their troubles, whereas

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it was really only the beginning. And now today's

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action step. The first king of Israel was a man

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called Saul. He was chosen by God. In fact, that

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is what his name means. He was chosen to conquer

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the Philistines and so release the land to the

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Israelites, just as it was promised to their

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father Abraham. He did try, but never had the

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heart for the job, and his task was sadly left

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unfinished. How sad it is when a footballer or

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cricketer is selected to do a specific job for

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his team, and he doesn't fulfil the role. This

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can often be simply a mistake by the selectors.

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It's even worse when God, who never makes mistakes,

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gives you a job, plus a promise to be with you

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and help you, and you fail to trust him and try.

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Some people struggle the whole of their lives

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with this big issue of, have I fulfilled the

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task God has entrusted to me? This may be a timely

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reminder for you that God has something for all

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of us to do as part of his church. If you are

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unfulfilled, it could be that the job God has

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given you is unfulfilled. Search your heart,

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and if you sense there is a job, large or small,

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that God's given you, just do it.