FOOD FOR THE SOUL-DEC. 11, 2014 FROM GODS WORD 1 Samuel 16:1-13 16:1 The LORD said to Samuel, How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons. 16:2 Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. 16:3 Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you. 16:4 Samuel did what the LORD commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do you come peaceably? 16:5 He said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. 16:6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, Surely the LORDs anointed is now before the LORD. 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart. 16:8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. 16:9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has the LORD chosen this one. 16:10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, The LORD has not chosen any of these. 16:11 Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here. 16:12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, Rise and anoint him; for this is the one. 16:13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah. Todays Devotional(FROM UPPER ROOM): God’s Choice Testimony of T. Ruwodo (Harare, Zimbabwe) 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. 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 (NRSV) ------- SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT ----------- Matthew 16:26, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?—Be a part in spreading the gospel of God. Share this devotional message to your Facebook Friends. Matthew 28:18-20, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Dec 2014 06:44:24 +0000
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