Remembering That God Sees My Heart and Longing - Your Nightly Scripture - September 20th
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Remembering That God Sees My Heart and Longing
Evening Scripture
1 Samuel, Chapter 16
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”
But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”
The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.” Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?”
Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.”
But the Lord said to Samuel, “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.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.
Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the lyre. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes on you, and you will feel better.” So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.”
Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.
David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.”
Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.
Evening Reflection
If you are like many people, you have hopes, dreams, and desires living inside of you. These are things you would love to see happen in your life. Yet, as life progresses, it may seem as if the things you desire may never come to pass. Whether or not it does is God’s decision, but this chapter reminds us of the way God can change things in an instant.
Before David was anointed to be king, he was not spending his time hoping for the opportunity to lead the nation of Israel. Instead, he was in the field faithfully tending his sheep. He was being faithful in the dark. Yet, it was from this place of obscurity that God anointed him to be king. Remember, Jesse didn’t even bother to get David when Samuel showed up, so even his own father did not see what God saw. However, God did not see just a young man who was tending the sheep. He saw a young man who had a heart that would run after him, and that is what God was after.
Not too long after being anointed, David ended up serving in the king’s palace. Again, this was not his own doing but God’s hand at work. So what is the reflection in all of this?
First, what are you doing outside the spotlight? So much of our lives unfold away from the public eye, yet those private moments often determine where God leads you and how God uses you. Simply put, do your best when no one sees because that shows your integrity and character. And those are qualities God desires in his people.
The second thing to remember is you don’t have to fuss and fight to get to the places God wants you to be in. He has an amazing way of opening and closing the right doors at the right time. You don’t have to worry about how you will get there. Your primary focus should be on drawing close to God and following his heart. When you do that, he will make sure you arrive exactly where he wants you to be. I promise you it will happen right on time.
Evening Prayer
Lord,
I bring all my desires, my longings, my hopes, and my dreams before you. Sometimes it feels like these things are taking too long and they will never happen. In these moments, help me not to fight against your timing to make them happen, but help me draw closer to you.
As I bring my heart before you, help me not to be anxious, but to accept the season of preparation that I am in so that when you move, I am ready to stand in the places you have positioned me. Let me focus on doing my best when you are my only audience so that I will always please you when no one is watching.
I surrender my heart and my future to you, knowing that you care and will always do what is for my good, and that you will always do it when the timing is right. Thank you for caring about my heart and for knowing I can trust you with it. Today, I recommit the plans for my life back into your hands.
I pray all this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.
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Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
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He is the author of The Pursuit of Purpose, which helps readers understand how God leads them into his will, and the author of The Pursuit of Victory: How To Conquer Your Greatest Challenges and Win In Your Christian Life. Clarence is also committed to helping 10,000 people learn how to study the Bible and has released his first course, Bible Study Basics, to achieve that goal. To learn more about his ministry and resources, please visit clarencehaynes.com.
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