David 1

1 Samuel 16:10-13

For the next several weeks we will be looking at God’s table of abundant blessings and His invitation for us to join him. To prepare for this, we thought it might be helpful to have an understanding of who David is.

We are in the process of trying to find an electric guitar. The search is proving to be longer than I expected, but that is okay since we want to get the best quality at the lowest price. When making any purchase I am usually quick to make a decision, while my wife takes longer and does more research.

In 1 Samuel 16 we have the story of Samuel being sent by God to anoint a replacement for King Saul. How many sons were rejected? Who was left? How did Samuel know to anoint this one? What was the result?

The king, Saul, has been rejected by God and God wants someone to be the replacement. He has told Samuel to go to the home of Jesses and anoint the son that God chooses. Samuel had at first wanted to select Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab, because he was so big and strong. But God told Samuel that He looks at the inside, the heart, rather than the outward appearances.

It isn’t until the youngest son, David, a boy of about nine, ten or eleven is brought in from watching the sheep that God reveals His decision. Samuel is told to anoint this handsome boy, not because of his strength and size, and not because he is ruddy and healthy, but because God knows his heart.

God knows that David will be a loyal and obedient servant, and so God chooses him as the next king.

Now we have two lessons for ourselves. First, God does not judge on outward appearance, therefore neither should we. We should not pass judgment on others by the way they dress or the way they may talk or act in public. We should get to know the real self, the deeper person within. Those whose appearance may at first seem coarse to us may in fact have the purest of hearts.

Second, since God does not judge on outward appearances but judges the heart, we should spend less time worrying about how we might appear and spend more time refining our heart. Are we genuine in our faith? Are we truly loving and caring in our hearts, or is what we do done for show?

DAILY CHALLENGE: If God judges the heart, what would He say about yours?