God gave Samuel, the prophet, an assignment. He had to find and ordain the next king of Israel. But this man of God misunderstood, as others also did, what God was looking for in a king. Samuel went to the small town of Bethlehem, to a family headed by a man named Jesse.
According to social norms, the oldest son Eliab would have been the natural choice for king. But God told Samuel, “Not him.” The second son wasn’t the right choice either, nor were the third, fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh sons. Jesse’s eighth son, David, whom no one thought to call in from the field, was God’s choice as king.
David didn’t have the social status, good looks or athletic ability that the people thought would make a good king. He foreshadowed Jesus in that way. (He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him…Isaiah 53:2)
God’s upside-down kingdom often picks the lowest to promote to the top. The Lord sets apart the forgotten, the unimpressive and the lowly to advance his kingdom. The young shepherd boy, David, would become Israel’s greatest earthly king because God was less interested in what the people valued in him and more interested in the posture of his heart.
Father, thank you that you don’t look for the characteristics that people look for. You value the heart above all else.
Throughout this day: If you often feel like the last one picked, take comfort that the Lord sees you and he does not work by man’s standards.
Photo Credit: Cdoncel