Daily Devotional · 1 Samuel 16:6–13
Man Looks at the Outside
Reflection
After Saul's rejection, God sent Samuel to Jesse of Bethlehem — one of his sons would be the next king. Samuel arrived, and when he saw Eliab, he was sure: "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the Lord." God stopped him: "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." Seven sons of Jesse passed before Samuel. Seven times: not this one. Samuel asked if there were more sons. Jesse mentioned almost apologetically: the youngest, David — he was out tending the sheep. They sent for him. When David arrived, God said: "Rise and anoint him; this is the one." David was ruddy, with fine features and handsome — but he was the youngest son of a family in a minor tribe of Israel. He was a shepherd. He had not been included in the lineup because no one thought he was a candidate. This is God's consistent pattern: he chooses the overlooked. Not the heir, but the second son. Not the eldest, but the youngest. Not the tall one, but the small one. Not the one the world would select, but the one whose heart He has prepared. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day on.
Background
The contrast between Saul and David is deliberately constructed throughout 1 Samuel. Saul was introduced as head and shoulders above everyone else — the picture of what Israel wanted in a king. David is introduced as the overlooked youngest son, left out of the lineup entirely. Both were anointed by Samuel; only one was chosen by God's own criteria.
Truth
God's criteria for choosing are not the world's criteria. You may be overlooked by every human selection process — and be exactly the person God is looking for. The heart He has been forming in your hidden place is more important to Him than the credentials you would show the world.
Application
Where do you feel overlooked, passed over, or not included in the lineup? Ask God: are You working in the hidden place — in the field, with the sheep — to form something that will matter when You send for me? What does faithfulness in the field look like today?