December 14

“Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

Yesterday we talked about the time the Israelites told their prophet Samuel they wanted him to anoint a king to rule over them. God sent a man to Samuel that would save his people from the Philistines. Saul looked the part: he was handsome, tall, and from a wealthy family, however, his heart was not for the LORD.

When Samuel meets the oldest of Jesse’s sons, he once again sees men that look the part. But God told him they were not the ones chosen for anointing. “For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

Finally, David is brought from the fields, where he kept the sheep, and he is anointed as Israel’s next king. We see God pick someone who is not the eldest brother, the strongest, or the most likely choice. In this way God shows us that outward appearance and trappings do not tell us who will faithfully obey the LORD.

Don’t think that David was unskilled though. He was adept at protecting his father’s flock of sheep—apparent when he wields a slingshot to kill Goliath, the Philistine champion. David was musical and wrote many of our favorite Psalms. He was also wise. We see that he knew when to faithfully serve Saul as king and when to spare the man’s life because he had been anointed by God.

Most importantly, we see that God once again works to accomplish his plan no matter who is on the throne. He allowed the Israelites to have their king when they asked, knowing that it was not going to go well with Saul. The Philistines were still defeated. The Amalekites were still destroyed for opposing Israel when they came out of Egypt. And when David was on the throne, the tribe of Judah was fulfilling its prophecy of leadership, not just in his lifetime, but because it is from this lineage the awaited Good Shepherd, King Jesus, came to us all.

Prayer for today:

Heavenly Father, help me trust in your timing and in your ways. Shape my heart to reflect you more every day so that I may obey your commandments with joy. I trust that you will complete the work you began in me. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.