King Saul wasn’t going to be king for long. He had turned against his God, and God was doing something about it. He told Samuel, his prophet, “I’m sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem because I’ve selected one of his sons to be king.”
When Samuel got to Jesse’s home, he started looking for the next king of Israel. The oldest son came out, but he wasn’t the one. God told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or how tall he is, because I have rejected him. God does not see as humans see. Humans look at outward appearances, but the Lord looks into the heart.”
Samuel met ten sons—ten!—and still told Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these. Are these all the sons you have?”
“There’s still the youngest one,” Jesse answered. “He’s tending the sheep.”
Samuel told Jesse, “Send someone to get him. We won’t continue until he gets here.”
When David got to the feast, “The Lord said, ‘Go ahead, anoint him. He is the one.’ Samuel took the flask of olive oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers. The Lord’s Spirit came over David and stayed with him from that day on.
Are you the youngest? Do people compare you to your brothers or sisters? God doesn’t look at the outside like other people do. No matter how big (or small) you are, God sees your heart, and he has plans for you.
Chomp on this!
Read the whole story in 1 Samuel chapter 16.
