Lied To, Yet Led by God

Have you ever found yourself somewhere you never planned to be, only to discover it was exactly where you needed to be all along? That's the powerful theme of this week's devotional as we explore "Lied to, yet Led by God" through 1 Samuel 9-10.

I share my personal journey of moving to New York City for what I thought was a position in women's ready-to-wear at Macy's Herald Square, only to discover I'd been misled and placed in intimate apparel instead. The frustration and disappointment I felt mirrors something many of us experience – that moment when life takes an unexpected turn that feels wrong. 

This parallels beautifully with Saul's story in Scripture. He wasn't searching for a kingdom; he was just looking for his father's lost donkeys. But God used this mundane task to lead him directly to Samuel, who would anoint him as Israel's first king. Despite feeling unqualified and even hiding when the time came for his public appointment, Saul was exactly where God intended him to be.

God's sovereignty works like this in our lives too. What looks like being overlooked, misled, or placed in the wrong position might actually be divine positioning. Every twist in your journey serves a purpose in God's greater plan. 

Have you experienced a situation where what initially seemed negative ultimately led to something beautiful? I'd love to hear your story. Subscribe for weekly devotionals that bring God's Word to life through personal stories and Scripture, and share this episode with someone who might need this reminder today.

Key passages: 1 Samuel 9-10

Follow me on Substack for application questions & reflection on each episode. Share your comments

Study of Ruth - Click Here

Study of Judges - Click Here

Study of Joshua - Click Here

Download Birth of Jesus E-book Here - Scroll and download
Click Here for Devotional Link

Follow Jessi Morgan on social:
TikTok - @Jessimorganfaith
IG - @Jessimorganfaith
Website: www.jessimorganhome.com/devotions
Contact: jessi@jessimorganhome.com
Podcast Music by: prazkhanal
Song: Whip

Chapters

• 0:00 Introducing the Christian Heart Podcast
• 1:14 Lied To: Jesse's New York Story
• 5:23 Saul's Journey from Donkeys to Kingship
• 8:40 God's Sovereignty in Our Detours
• 9:34 Closing Prayer and Final Thoughts

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hello, hello. You're listening to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Heart Podcast, episode 67. This week's devotional is titled Lied to, yet Led by God, let's go. Hi. I'm Jesse Morgan. I used to just share home decor and renovation tips on social media, but now I'm sharing something even closer to my heart my journey and love for Jesus Christ, my Savior. Welcome to the Jesse Morgan Devotions for the Christian Hot Podcast.

Speaker 1: 0:34

This is a weekly devotional. I started back in May 2024, but the inspiration for it came much earlier. It was rooted in a faith journey that began when my daughter was born four months early in 2023. Through that challenging time, god worked in ways that truly amazed me. On this podcast, I share personal stories of faith, woven together with scripture to show just how incredible God's word can be in our everyday lives. My hope is that through these stories, you'll be encouraged, uplifted and reminded of God's love and presence, no matter what you're going through. So I invite you to spend less than 15 minutes with me each week as we reflect on these devotionals together. Let's all pray within. Lie to, yet led by God. Key passages 1 Samuel 9-10. Hello and welcome back to the podcast. I feel like it's been forever, but it hasn't. I'm so excited to have you here and we're back after a little break and we're diving right in. So remember we're studying the book of 1 Samuel. It's such an intricate book with so many chapters and details, but my approach here is to go chapter by chapter, thought by thought, bringing God's Word forward in a way that connects your life today as well as mine, and I do this through my own experiences and in perspective, and my prayer is that it blesses you as much as it's been a blessing for me to share. So, again, god laid it on my spirit to share this story with you before we dive into the main passages for this week's podcast. So here we go.

Speaker 1: 2:07

I've talked a lot on this podcast about my time in New York, especially working at Macy's Herald Square on 34th Street and the lessons God's taught me there, but I've never really shared how I got there in the first place and, honestly, the way it happened wasn't glamorous at all. In fact, I was basically lied to about the position I was supposed to take. So here's how it went down. Back in 2012, I was at Macy's Dateland in Miami managing women's ready-to-wear on the second floor. Dateland was the number two store in the company and I poured everything into that role and people noticed. So one day my district vice president, that big, big boss, pulled me aside and said Harold Square in New York wants to interview you. I was shocked. I was shook. Let me tell you, new York was never in my plan. But I interviewed, got the offer and received my contract.

Speaker 1: 3:01

Now here's the twist. The contract said merchandise manager for intimate apparel, aka bras and underwear area. I stopped and immediately called HR and said wait a minute. I thought I was going to be in women's ready to wear. That's my background, that's what I'm good at, that's what I'm known for. And they told me oh, don't worry, that's just a formality, you won't actually be in apparel, you're going to be placed in women's ready-to-wear, that's just the area you've been hired for. And I hesitated, didn't make sense. I really did hesitate, but eventually I signed the contract, trusted their word and packed up and moved to New York.

Speaker 1: 3:42

When I got there I shadowed another manager for about three weeks. The whole time I still didn't know exactly what my area was going to be. Then one day I'm sitting in a team meeting and the store manager who hired me, in front of everyone. He says casually oh no, you'll be managing intimate apparel and, by the way, you're getting a new store manager, I won't be your boss. I was. I was just like sitting there, shocked, and it was just. He was just so nonchalant, so dismissive. I felt like he just tossed me to the side. Dismissive, I felt like he just tossed me to the side. Here I was a brand new person in New York, far from home, not even knowing my new, not even like knowing my new boss yet, and I felt completely lied to.

Speaker 1: 4:24

But here's what happened next. I met my new store manager and we clicked right away. She was so supportive, patient and encouraging as I learned a whole new business intimate apparel and, of course you know, with her support I actually began to get the hang of it and flourish. And here's the beautiful part In Intimate Apparel I met a wonderful merchandise lead that worked for me. We hit it off and she eventually introduced me to a young man who was looking for a job. I had an on-call position open, so she set up an interview for me to meet him. He was so respectful, polite and eager to work. I hired him because I needed the help and that young man turned out to be my future husband.

Speaker 1: 5:05

Looking back, I can see God's hand so clearly now, and at the time I thought I had been lied to, tossed aside and overlooked. And at the time I thought I had been lied to, tossed aside and overlooked, but really God was positioning me for his plan. And that's exactly what we see in 1 Samuel, chapters 9 and 10. Israel had rejected God and demanded a king. So the Lord told Samuel in 1 Samuel 9, 16,. It says Tomorrow, about this time, I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin and you shall anoint him to be prince over my people, israel. And that was Saul.

Speaker 1: 5:43

But notice how Saul's story begins Not with a crown, not with a throne, but with lost donkeys. Scripture says in 1 Samuel 9, 3,. It says In 1 Samuel 9, 3,. It says Now the donkeys of Kish, saul's father, were lost. So Kish said to Saul, his son, take one of the young men with you and arise, go and look for the donkeys. So Saul searched high and low. He and his servant traveled through the hill country of Ephraim, the land of Shalisha, shalem and even the land of Benjamin. Saul was over looking for these donkeys and he told his servant, they should go back finally. But then the servant replied.

Speaker 1: 6:19

In 1 Samuel 9, 6, it says Behold, there is a man of God in the city, and he is a man who is held in honor. All that he says comes true. So now let's go there. Perhaps he can tell us the way we should go. You see that Saul was ready to quit, but his servant remembered Samuel's reputation. Everyone knew he was a true prophet whose words never failed. People sought out Samuel for direction straight from God all the time. So while Saul thought he was just chasing donkeys, god was actually directing his steps to Samuel, the very man who would anoint him king. And so they met.

Speaker 1: 7:00

And after their meeting, saul humbly protested am I not a Benjaminite from the least of the tribes of Israel, and is not my clan the humblest of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then have you spoken to me in this way? It says in 1 Samuel 9, 21. Basically, it's just. It shows that Saul felt unqualified, insignificant, but God had already chosen him. And then, in chapter 10, it all comes full circle. In 1 Samuel 10, 1, it says then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on his head and kissed him and said has not the Lord anointed you to be prince over his people, israel, and you shall reign over the people of the Lord and you will save them from the hand of their surrounding enemies? But even after being chosen and anointed, saul still wrestled with insecurity, the what-ifs, when the time came for his public appointment. Scripture says that he hid. Imagine that God had chosen him, samuel had anointed him, and yet Saul was hiding. He couldn't see himself the way God saw him.

Speaker 1: 8:15

I was hesitant in my story about taking the job, entirely due to the area. I didn't have confidence at first that I could handle this business. But God did. He put me there. He gave me an amazing store manager. It forced me to accept this role and to move through it. But at first I didn't see it and God kept me there and I met my husband.

Speaker 1: 8:42

And that's the sovereignty of God, that's the authority and the supreme of God. His path and his authority, as I mentioned, doesn't always make sense to us. It can look like you're being lied to, tossed around, overlooked or even hiding because we feel unqualified. But behind it all he is aligning every detail for his purpose and just like using Waze, the app for driving directions. Sometimes it reroutes you in a way that feels completely out of the way, but in the end, you arrive exactly where you need to be. So let this encourage you today Every step, whether it looks like a blessing, a mistake or a disappointment, god is using it to position you for his best.

Speaker 1: 9:33

Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us today of your sovereignty. Thank you for showing us, through the story of Saul, that, even through our own stories, that nothing in our lives is wasted. Even when things don't go the right way, lord, the way that we expect, even when we feel lost, overlooked or insecure, you are still guiding our steps. Lord, help us to trust you when the path feels confusing. Help us to see that every twist and turn has a purpose. Remind us that you are placing us in the right place at the right time, with the right people, all according to your will for us.

Speaker 1: 10:12

I pray for every listener today that they would find comfort in knowing you have a plan for them, that you were ordering their steps and that you are working all things together for their good. Give them peace, lord, give them courage and strengthen their faith as they follow you. We thank you, lord, for your goodness and for your grace and for never leaving us. We love you and we praise you, lord, in Jesus' name, amen. God bless you everyone. Thank you for listening. Till next time. Well, that wraps up this week's episode. My prayer is that these devotions bring you a little closer to God each day. If you felt encouraged, don't keep it to yourself. Share this episode with a friend or loved one who could use the same reminder. Be sure to hit subscribe so you never miss a weekly message and, if you like, leaving a kind review means so much. For more, check the show notes or connect with me on Instagram or TikTok at jessimorganfaith. Until next time. This is Jessi Morgan praying off.