What Are You Looking At?

“But the Lord told Samuel,

“Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is,

because I have rejected him [David’s oldest brother].

God does not see as humans see.

Humans look at outward appearances,

but the Lord looks into the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:7

Samuel was God’s Prophet, and his assignment was to find the next King for God’s nation.  The “old” King was on a downward spiral and had to be replaced.  It was Samuel’s job to find the man God had chosen to be the new King.  But Samuel was looking for someone that fit his formula for a good king.

God already had made His choice, but it was not anyone that “fit” the qualifications for which Samuel was looking.

God’s choice was not a strong, wise, well-educated, experienced nor powerful man.  This was not a successful, famous leader.  He was not someone who had a proven track-record in business or economics or corporate success.  He was the “little brother.”  His renown only went as far as his dad, his brothers, and a bunch of sheep.

He was just a kid. His name was David.

Outwardly, there was no logical reason to consider that God would choose to use The Kid.  But God had been watching him before he was even born….the baby of the family.  He was watching as little David often got the “short end of the stick” in his family.  God saw how often David was left behind as his big brothers went off to do more “special things”….big-boy things, while David had to take care of a bunch of sheep.  Not an easy job.  They were not easy animals to care for…very low on the intelligence charts, easy targets for lions and bears, and pretty much anything else that had teeth. David’s focus each day was basically saving their lives….making sure they’re not eating deadly plants or falling off cliffs.  It was hard work, and very lonely.

But what God saw most in this young boy was his heart.  He was learning to know God through the challenges of his years of caring for those sheep:  God’s Nature, His Goodness,  His Mercy,

His Protection, His Presence, His Loving-kindness, and His Power. He could never have imagined what God had planned for his future. . . as one of the greatest Kings in history.

May we learn to see each other with even a glimpse of how God sees us . . . even the “most unlikely.”