In 1 Samuel 9, the prophet Samuel is about to anoint Saul king over Israel. He tells Saul, “And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line (verse 20, NIV)?” Saul immediately tells Samuel why he could not possibly be the desire of Israel. He looks to worldly attributes of strength to disqualify himself by explaining that he is from “the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin (verse 20).” He even questions Samuel by saying, “Why do you say such a thing to me?” But Samuel ignores these comments and in chapter 10 he anoints Saul king.
Too often we are quick to dismiss how The Lord views us and the tasks he appoints us to do. We are too quick to measure ourselves by the world’s standards instead of by God’s standards. Throughout the Bible we see God using the weak and lowly to overcome the powerful in the world. Psalm 8:5 tells us that God has made mankind “a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” The Psalm goes on to remind us that we have been made “rulers over the works of your hands.”
It is natural to question what God calls us to do and the position he has given us in his creation. Even the Psalmist pondered in Psalm 8:3-4, “what is mankind that you are mindful of them.” Yet we should take to heart that we are his creation and he has ordained us for a specific purpose in His kingdom on earth. Embrace this role and seek God for the strength to pursue his will in your life. Don’t let the weight of worldly questions about your worth weigh you down.
#ThrowbackThursday – This post originally published January 9, 2017.
© 2017 CGThelen
140 Character Christian 
Great reminder.
Such an encouraging post, 140 Christian! Amen to seeking God’s strength and pursuing his will, even as we fight against those feelings of inadequacy. (It helps to remember where those feelings come from–and it’s not from God! HE is our adequacy for all things he asks of us (Philippians 4:13).
Good insight Nancy. We should not listen to the lies of the evil one. Like that Phillipians verse. He is our strength. Thanks for the comment.
This is such a great post! I take comfort knowing the heroes of the faith questioned their abilities as well. I am SO thankful that God has created us for a purpose, to bring Him glory. Thank you again for reposting this!
Praise God for his love and grace. Thanks for the comment
We all need to remember God don’t make junk and we all have a purpose and value to him. We need to learn to use that value for him.
Well said. We are created in his image with a purpose. Thanks for the comment.
Thank you for sharing. In the Bible, God continually uses the imperfections of others to bring more value to our lives. Amen!
Good reminder that God can use us mightily despite our faults. Thanks for the comment.