Sermon Illustrations

The Lost Donkeys That Found a King

My name? Oh, I’m Dusty—one of the donkeys that belonged to Kish, a farmer from the tribe of Benjamin.

Life was simple for us: graze, walk, carry, rest, repeat.

I never imagined I’d be part of something royal!

But one morning, our fence gate swung open, and off we went—

me and two of my friends—trotting into the hills in search of sweeter grass.

We wandered farther… and farther… until, well—

we were lost.

Back at the farm, Kish was worried.

He sent his son Saul and a servant to find us.

Now Saul was tall—head and shoulders above everyone else—

but even he couldn’t spot three missing donkeys in the mountains!

They searched for days—through the rocky paths, dusty fields, and tiny villages.

Everywhere they asked, people just shook their heads.

No donkeys here.

Finally Saul sighed, “Let’s go home. My father will start worrying about us instead of the donkeys.”

But the servant said, “Wait! There’s a prophet nearby—maybe he can tell us where the donkeys are.”

So they went to see the prophet Samuel.

What Saul didn’t know was that God had already spoken to Samuel that morning:

“Tomorrow I will send you a man from Benjamin. You will anoint him ruler over My people.”

When Saul arrived, Samuel smiled—like he’d been expecting him all along.

He said, “Don’t worry about the donkeys. They’ve already been found.”

Then he added something that made Saul blink in surprise:

“And as for you… all Israel’s hope is set on you!”

Saul didn’t understand at first.

He thought he was chasing after donkeys—

but really, God was chasing after him.

Later that day, Samuel poured oil on Saul’s head and said,

“God has chosen you to be king over His people.”

And somewhere out in the hills, I brayed softly.

I never knew that our little escape would lead to a crown!

That night, I thought about it all.

Sometimes when things go wrong, they’re actually going right—

because God’s plans stretch far beyond what we can see.

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Moral of the Story:

Even lost donkeys can lead someone to their destiny.

When life takes an unexpected turn, trust—

God might be guiding you to something greater.

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