Daily Devotional 12/11/14 The Upper Room Scripture: 1 Samuel 16:1-13 1 The LORD said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king. 2 But Samuel said, How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me. The LORD said, Take a heifer with you and say, I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. 3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate. 4 Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, Do you come in peace? 5 Samuel replied, Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me. Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, Surely the LORDs anointed stands here before the LORD. 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, The LORD has not chosen this one either. 9 Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, Nor has the LORD chosen this one. 10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, The LORD has not chosen these. 11 So he asked Jesse, Are these all the sons you have? There is still the youngest, Jesse answered, but he is tending the sheep. Samuel said, Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives. 12 So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, Rise and anoint him; he is the one. 13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah. “Gods Choice” – T. Ruwodo (Harare, Zimbabwe) “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.: (1 Samuel 16:7) The Lord had rejected Saul as king of the Israelites and sent Samuel to the little-known family of Jesse to choose a new king. Jesse’s sons were called into the presence of the Lord, but none was chosen. Jesse’s youngest son, David, was a shepherd out tending his father’s sheep. Jesse never thought of bringing him into the presence of the Lord, thinking he was not a suitable candidate. But when David was presented to Samuel, the Lord approved, and he was anointed king. God’s choices are not determined by family background, physical appearance, social status, political strength, or majority vote. David lacked many of the prerequisite qualities in human eyes, but he was the right candidate in God’s eyes. My call to ministry was similar to David’s call. Nothing worth mentioning distinguished my family, compared to families in my clan that were known for flourishing businesses, educated individuals, and respected farmers. But from my little family, the Lord chose me to be a shepherd of the church. Just as God called me, God calls each of us to service in this world. Thought for the Day: God still chooses unlikely people to serve the world. Prayer: Dear God, help us to understand that we are chosen despite the shortcomings other people see in us. Amen. Prayer focus: Pastors
Posted on: Thu, 11 Dec 2014 10:46:29 +0000
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