MORNING DEW: 03-11-2018
TOPIC: DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART
TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 17:4-11
Samuel did what the LORD said and went to Bethlehem. The elders of the town came out to meet him trembling, and said, “May your coming be in peace.” He said, “Peace, I’ve come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab, and said, “Surely he’s the LORD’s anointed.” The LORD told Samuel, “Don’t look at his appearance or his height, for I’ve rejected him. Truly, God does not see what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” Then Jesse summoned Abinadab and brought him before Samuel, and he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse brought Shammah, and he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Jesse brought seven of his sons before Samuel, and Samuel told Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” Then Samuel told Jesse, “Are these all the young men?” He said, “There yet remains the youngest one, and right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send someone to get him, for we won’t do anything else until he arrives here.”
SAMUEL THE PRIEST CARRIED OUT GOD’S ASSIGNMENT
After God’s instructions to Samuel the priest, he did not hesitate. He was to go to Bethlehem, the home of Jesse, anoint a man after God’s own heart. Here, God did not mention the person’s name to the priest but the Holy Spirit was there to do the right thing. A Christian without the Holy Spirit cannot function.
The priest got to the scene, consecrated Jesse and his sons and began his assignment. The first son of Jesse, Eliab, was sighted by Samuel. By human standard of perfection, there was no doubt Eliab wouldn’t be the one. The qualities one needed in a king at the time was obvious.
Don’t forget that wars were common those days and as a king it was your leadership mandate to lead the people to wars and its related matters. Eliab, however, qualified since he was a warrior in king Saul’s army.
SAMUEL BIGGEST MISTAKE
Samuel made a big mistake which would have cost the people of Isreal dearly if not the timely intervention of God.
What was his mistake?
- He was shortsighted person
Samuel lacked the eyes to see far. He could not see beyond the man standing by him. The church today make such mistakes. So armed robbers, thieves, are deacons, elders, committee members, etc. Today unbelievers control our churches because we lack the eyes to see beyond the people we see.
- Samuel never consulted God in the selection process.
The priest did not ask God of His opinion. God sent him but he acted alone.
This is the flaws of today’s church. We think we can do it without God. When we are going to elect leaders we don’t pray as a group or individuals, we don’t ask God to let His Will be done, rather we do it our own way, but don’t forget our own way lead to destruction.
- He was sure of himself
The priest trusted himself which most of us do today. We are sure of ourselves to the extent that we don’t pray, we don’t study the Bible anymore, we don’t pray on material things before using them, we don’t bless food before eating. This is called pride not trusting of oneself.
- He depended on his experience in the ministry
Samuel began working for God at a very tender age, during priest Eli’s days. Experience wise there was no doubt. But your experience can fail you. Nobody is so much experienced than God, yet He consults human beings before taking certain actions. Do you think that God Himself would not have gone to Bethlehem and carried out the assignment He sent Samuel to perform?, yet He sent Samuel. That is the system of order.
- Samuel compromised his conviction
God has a standard, hence anytime man violates such standards, it is called compromise. We compromise our faith due to human faces, pressure, and so on. That is why in church we have mixed feelings when it comes to discipline.
With these, if not God’s timely intervention, the priest would have caused a mess God was trying to clean up.
After seven of Jesse’s sons came forth, none of them qualified to lead God’s people. What you should know is that God doesn’t just use people, He knows human heart, He knows what is in man, the wickedness of man, the greediness, the selfishness, the sinful activities, etc.
The priest asked Jesse, “Are these all the young men?”
The answer was, “there yet remains the youngest one, and right now he’s tending the sheep.”
If the priest had not asked Jesse wouldn’t have remembered that son of his, because as far as Jesse and his other seven sons were concerned, that young man did not exist.
Beloved, human neglect does not mean God’s neglect. So be calmed for the battle is the Lord.
Prayer: Father, I present my heart to you, operate it, and use it to serve You, in Jesus’ Name!
Amen!
Rev. John Wundengba
0209422159
