“Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, ‘The LORD has not chosen these.’” (1 Samuel 16:10)
David had seven brothers. When it came time to pick a king to replace Saul, Samuel thought any one of them would make a better king than David. But God rejected all seven. Why? Because:
- They had the looks but not the spiritual core. God explained to Samuel, “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (v. 7). David’s spiritual core was formed by years spent with God. His heart’s cry was, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God” (Psalm 42:1).
- They had no personal experiences with God to fall back on. The lion and the bear were big, and Goliath was bigger yet. But David wasn’t intimidated. “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). There are no insignificant battles. The little ones equip you for the big ones that shape your destiny, so stand on your “God experiences”. How you respond in a crisis is determined by the experiences you have had with God.
- They were easily influenced by others. David’s brothers allowed the fears of those around them to erode their faith. Fear is contagious; if you listen to it long enough, you will get infected. No, you shouldn’t be isolated from the world, but you must be insulated against its negative influences. Listening to Goliath frightened David’s brothers, but it didn’t frighten David. So who are you listening to today? Get God’s opinion and build your life upon it; allow His Word to settle every issue.
Prayer
Lord, grant me Your strength to follow the path You have for me. Don’t let the fears of this world influence me, let Your Word influence what I say and do in all things. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Stay encouraged!
Pastor Mike
