“The LORD Sees The Heart, Not Outward Appearance!”

“The LORD Sees The Heart, Not Outward Appearance!”(I Sam.16:1-13).
We continue reflecting on the various ways by which God selects his servants. There is no hard and fast rule by which God makes his choices. Sometimes we do not have any say in the drama surrounding our being chosen. Sometimes the task is quite risky for those whom God has commissioned for the assignment of choosing.
This was the case in point when Samuel was asked to go to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons as the second king of Israel. The risk was too much because Saul the reigning king was still alive, strong, healthy and still on the throne. Riskier still was that Samuel was living in Ramah, and to go to Bethlehem he had to pass through Gibeah, the seat of Saul. Samuel’s movement could not go unnoticed by the king, especially as Samuel had told him to his face: “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors – to one better than you”(I Sam.15:28).
God told Samuel to go under the pretext of going to make a sacrifice but to invite Jesse and his sons to the place of sacrifice. One of the lessons learned from the anointing of David as the second king of Israel is the lesson God taught Samuel when Samuel assessed by appearances. The LORD told Samuel not to consider appearances or height. For “the LORD does not look at the things man look at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
All the sons of Jesse were rejected – except the one who was not considered by human standards to be the chosen. He was David. He was the youngest. He was out in the field tending the sheep. By dint of being the youngest, his father did not consider it worthwhile to invite him. Samuel asked that they should sent for him.
When David arrived, the LORD told Samuel: “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” After the anointing, “and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David with power.”
“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” Even if scriptures has not told us so, we can only imagine the jealousy of David’s brothers! As for Saul’s jealousy, he openly tried to kill David on several occasions but failed. Just as the phone rings both ways, so too “touch not my anointed and do my prophet no harm” works both ways! More than once David had opportunity to kill Saul but he vowed not to do any harm to the LORD’S anointed. The LORD could not also allow Saul to harm David.
David was called to be a great king to lead God’s children politically and spiritually, and to be an ancestor of the Messiah. All these things were made possible because God saw what was in David’s heart.
My friend, what is in your heart that God sees?
Prayer: Create in me a clean and pure heart O LORD and put a right spirit within me. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.
21/01/2025.