IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?

DAILY WORD

9/11/23

8. Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the LORD has chosen.”

9. Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the LORD has chosen.”

10. In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.”

11. Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

1 Samuel 16: 8–11 NLT

Today’s Passage is a transitional one in which we see Samuel, God’s Prophet in Israel, seeking to anoint the next King of God’s People, a tenuous undertaking considering Saul, the current King, is still on the Throne.

If anyone finds out what is happening and tells Saul, there is a distinct possibility Saul will have them all killed. Jealousy and the retention of power are potent motivators, and people have done unbelievable things to preserve them.

But for now, Saul is unaware of Samuel’s God-Directed actions, and presumably, they all want to keep it that way. So, there is a looming threat over this entire enterprise that I don’t want you to ignore. That will have lasting consequences later in The Story of Samuel. Until then, let’s look at Samuel’s search for the next King.

In our last DAILY WORD, when Samuel began his search, he mentioned that God is unconcerned with man’s most frequently utilized standard for judgment: outward appearance.

So often, before we ever even consider whether an individual we are considering for a task is qualified, we take stock of whether they look worthy of the commission. How often is an individual disqualified from potential service for “not looking the part?”

But in no uncertain terms, God let it be known that just because the first of Jesse’s sons was tall and strapping, that meant nothing to Him. God considers an individual’s heart, not appearance, to qualify them for His Service. So, Samuel went through Jesse’s entire family and still hadn’t found God’s next King.

Imagine how Jesse’s elder sons must have felt as they were brought before the most revered man in the Kingdom, only to be told they were not worthy. But here’s the thing: God let the people choose Israel’s first King, which turned out badly for everyone. So, now God is taking over the task, and you can be assured that even if it appears clandestine and surreptitious in its planning, it will be Right when it’s all said and done.

Jesse presented all of his sons before Samuel, and God chose none of them, so Samuel, confused at the incongruent outcome, inquired whether there might be another he’d not yet seen. Jesse indeed confirmed that one more son was left but that he was out tending sheep. Even his father didn’t consider David worthy of being considered King.

But Samuel, understanding God’s Dynamic better than most, refused even to allow them to eat until he’d seen Jesse’s youngest, who had to be fetched from the fields before he could even be considered. Think about that for a moment because that is Today’s Lesson.

The very individual God Intended to Elevate wasn’t considered significant enough even to be deemed worthy of service by his own father! If that doesn’t give you some insight into God’s Mind and His Choices, nothing ever will!

The Lesson from the Last Post holds true in Today’s Passage. God couldn’t care less about what you look like, where you were born, or what other people think about you. If He sees potential in you, and you are open to His Call, God will Use you for His Glory.

Now, if you know anything at all about Israel’s History, you already know who David became. But for now, forget all that and consider his origins. This is King David’s Origin Story, and if you think it’s gonna be easy because God Chose him over Saul, you have another thing coming!

Just wait! David’s rise to fame and power came at extreme cost, even though God Chose him. In the coming weeks, we’ll see just what it looks like to be Chosen by God and to become qualified, even when you can’t see the Path ahead. This isn’t going to be easy for David, but God never said walking with Him would be easy.

David’s Path to the Throne gives us an insight into God’s Mind and how He Plans and Qualifies His Servants, and it may not look like you imagined. But that is God. He rarely does what we expect, and that really shouldn’t be all that surprising considering how vastly different our minds and abilities are from His.

God Rejected all of Jesse’s sons until he presented the least likely to succeed, the youngest, the one his family didn’t even consider a possibility. That was who God Chose, but why? Why would God Select the one individual no one would ever follow? Why would He Choose a child who hadn’t even fought in his first battle to lead His Chosen people?

It was because God wasn’t done with Saul yet! David had a role to play in Saul’s coming demise, just like Saul had a role to play in David’s rise to effectiveness. David was no King when he was anointed, and Saul was no longer under God’s Protection. And rest assured, that is going to make for some significant drama to come!

Stay tuned for the show, but until then, embrace your role, whatever it may be, and make yourself available to God because you never know when He’s gonna need a servant, and you may be just what He needs to Complete His Will. Will you be ready for The Call when it comes, or will you be found lacking?

Have a Marvelous Monday, And Remember, God Sees You Potential, Not Your Current Position; Trust His Vision!

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