A Bug in the Ear

I have spent about 13 years in the Human Resources field and during most of that time I have been involved primarily in recruiting. In this line of work, it is not unusual for people to "put a bug in my ear" regarding some job candidate. Usually they want to recommend someone for a particular job.

This week I heard Crawford Loritts of Living a Legacy, mention the idea of a transfer of credibility when we endorse someone else.

This line of thinking set up my mind to be ready to notice something while reading I Samuel 16: in this chapter, God began to transfer the kingdom of Israel from King Saul to David. The actual transfer of power didn't take place for years.

You may remember that God provided numerous opportunities for David to learn about how to run an administration and how to conduct himself in battle - prior to his actually assuming those duties.

David owed one of those opportunities to a recommendation from someone in a seemingly insignificant position - a servant of the king.

In 1st Samuel 16:14-20 you'll find the story of how one of Saul's servants recommended that one solution to Saul's recurring depression (or oppression) was to requisition someone that was handy with a harp. The musician could play some soothing licks on the harp and calm Saul's rattled nerves.

Saul said, "make it happen."

The servant said he knew just the man to do it: little David.

Here is the principle at work:

God often employs the seemingly insignificant in specifically strategic roles to bring about His great plan.

David owed this opportunity to serve the king and eventually to become the king's armor-bearer - all to a seemingly offhand suggestion from a servant.

What role do you play now that seems insignificant - mundane?
Do you ever feel that you are insignificant?

If you are concerned about your prominence in the Kingdom of God, let me give you some other examples of lackluster roles that turned out to be highly important:

• a servant, exiled from his homeland and forced to serve as the capturing king's cup-bearer, Nehemiah became the point-man for the Jerusalem Restoration project
• another captured slave-girl was forced to serve in the household of a Syrian war-lord. When she learned that her captor had fallen victim to the dreaded disease of leprosy, she recommended that he consult the prophet, Elisha
• a donkey (no matter how low your plight appears - it has not dropped to that level yet!), after suffering abuse from her rider, suddenly spoke! She offered God's correction to a wayward prophet
• a young exile and his friends, were taken into servitude and forced to learn and promote a culture that contradicted everything they held dear. Yet Daniel and the three Hebrew Boys were able to greatly influence the king and the policies of that foreign nation

It is likely that God has placed you where you are right now for some specific purpose. Perhaps it is to further your spiritual education, or perhaps it is to allow you to hold influence over someone whose path you will cross.

If you find yourself in a dull spot - remember that in most of the examples listed above - it was the attitude of the person involved that earned them a hearing. They were able to be an influence because someone deemed them a person worth listening to.

May God help us to keep a divine perspective on our role in life and to always display an "excellent spirit".