As we finish our study this week, we embrace one more category of counterintuitive that challenges not just our brain, but also our EYES. We’ve seen that Jesus’s Gospel of the Kingdom is counter to every thought and expression of man. We’ve seen that our own strength is weak. We’ve embraced God’s wisdom, which appears to the world as utter foolishness, but is proven at every graveside as wiser than the wisdom of men. And we’ve embraced a Sabbath rest that allows us to do our vocation in His strength as fulfilling worship to Him. This week, if we were to theme a verse, we would watermark 2 Corinthians 5:7 behind every word … “For we walk by faith, NOT by sight.” And if there were one story that could jump-start our journey, it would have to be God’s selection of David through the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:1-13.
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.”
Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.
We say it with a variety of idioms: “Don’t judge a book by its cover;” “All that glitters is not gold;” “Appearances can be deceiving;” “There’s more than meets the eye;” and “Beauty is only skin deep.” The outside of a book could never convey the richness of the characters, plot and story. We’ve all seen the glittering diva and missed the hollow character behind the glam. Bottom line: our eyes deceive us more often than we would like to admit. If this is true in the natural world, it is even more true when it comes to spiritual things. God taught Samuel that day not to trust his eyes. God sees things differently, and we ALWAYS win when we walk by faith, not by sight.
This week we will embrace a new set of eyes. And as you look forward to life beyond these 40 days, our prayer is that you have already grabbed what’s next for you. It might be a challenging study in a book of the Bible. It might be a devotional that speaks to your situation and season. If you’re new in your relationship to Christ, we would invite you to jump into Essentials, which will start in a couple of weeks. The format is much like you’ve experienced these last 40 days. The content lets you “start from scratch” in your relationship with God, building on some very simple daily routines to grow that relationship in community. Signups are open now online at pinedale.church.
Learning how to feed yourself spiritually is a core value at Pinedale. We want you to not only grow and mature in your faith, but to overflow in fruitfulness to your family, friends and neighbors. This doesn’t happen without a plan. If you need help planning your next steps of growth, please don’t hesitate to contact the church office and we’ll come alongside to help you in your journey.
Father, bless these who have drawn near to You these last 35 days. Fill them with the joy of being called into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in Heaven and made available for their season here on earth. May their life and calling be counterintuitive — since Your ways are higher than our ways, and Your thoughts, higher than our thoughts.
As you prepare to end this 40-Day Study, look back over the devotions from the past week. Which devotions were most meaningful to you and why?