God See's the Heart 1 Samuel 16

God See's the Heart: 1 Samuel 16

Summary:

Samuel is still mourning the loss of Saul as God's chosen King of Israel. This chapter opens with God speaking to Samuel in his grief. God tells him that it's time to "stop mourning and move on".

 God has chosen a new King and he wants Samuel to go find his family and anoint him. Samuel is nervous. If Saul finds out he will get angry and could do something rash. The Spirit of God is no longer with Saul. God has allowed an evil spirit to torment him. Saul has become very unpredictable.
God reminds Samuel that he doesn't need to be afraid. He will be with him and tell him what to do. God tells Samuel that he has a plan and if Samuel obeys the plan everything will be just fine.
Samuel acts as he always does. He obeys.
Samuel finds Jesse and his seven sons as instructed. However none of these seven are the one God has chosen. They may look kingly on the outside, but God is judging by their inner qualities, their heart.
Samuel learns that there is an eighth younger son that is out with the sheep.
The Shepherd boy, David, is found and anointed.

In a crazy twist, the chapter ends with David being sought out by Saul's servants to play the harp to soothe King Saul during his moments of torment.

What I learned from 1 Samuel 16:

1. Faith breeds obedience If I trust God I will not let fear choose my actions I will obey what God has instructed.
2. God is full of surprises that often make me wonder what He is up to.
3. Just like God, I should not be pre-occupied by peoples outward appearance. It is the heart that matters.
4. There is a time to mourn, but then there is a time to stop mourning  and  take action. God has a things for me to do, I cannot allow grief to cause me to become self absorbed.
5. Even a shepherd can be King if God wants it to be that way.

Read 1 Samuel 16:

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+16&version=NIV

Hope Wirta