Day 92: 1 SAmuel 16- What Do You See?

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.” 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?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

6 When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” 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 sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest,[a] but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

David in Saul's Service
14 Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. 15 And Saul's servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” 17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” 18 One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” 19 Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.”20 And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. 21 And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. 22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.

​Meditation
Today’s passage succinctly states the distinction between God’s perspective and ours, “…The Lord sees not as man sees…”(7) God’s grace invites us to turn to see life from His perspective. Lord, please give us eyes to see as you see!

Samuel was commanded to move on from Saul, (1) following the Lord’s plans and providence. Samuel obeyed (4) and went to the family of Jesse to anoint the next king.  Samuel saw strength in Jesses’ sons and was sure the Lord’s anointed was before him. (6) Samuel’s sight was re-directed- “…The Lord sees not as man sees…” The Lord was looking for the forgotten shepherd boy who was a “man after God’s own heart.” (1 Samuel 13:14) True strength flows from the heart and not from what is seen. 

Scripture offers four steps to help us see as the Lord sees:
1- Acknowledge the different focus.  We are a people obsessed with headlines and image. God looks at heart life and the internal. 
2- Realize God fully sees our heart! (1 Chronicles 28:9) And our hearts are dirty, dead, and deceitful. (Jeremiah 17:9) 
3- Welcome God’s grace to give a new heart. (Ezekiel 36:26) 
4- Respond to God’s grace by praying for a clean heart and a renewed spirit. (Psalm 51:10)

New and cleansed hearts will clear our sight, empowering us to have eyes to see as the Lord sees! The Lord looks at the heart and invites us to join His perspective.

Richly Dwelling
- What are you looking at!?!  Are you more focused on headlines and image or heart life and the internal?

-Ask the Lord to search your heart (Psalm 139:23-24) to show you where you need to repent, turning back to Jesus and trusting Him with your whole heart.

-How does guarding your healed heart (Proverbs 4:23) help you look at life in a new way?

Key Verse
7b “…. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”