April 4 - Nº 94 1 Samuel 16
The Lord said to Samuel, “It’s time to stop grieving. I want you to anoint a new king who will rule after Saul. Take some oil and go to the home of Jesse in Bethlehem. I’ve chosen one of his sons to be the next king.” Samuel was frightened. “But Saul is still the king. He will kill me for treason if he finds out,” he protested. God replied, “Take a calf to Bethlehem and say you are coming to sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to join you. Then I will show you what to do.” Samuel did what God asked. When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders were frightened. (After all, Samuel had just executed King Agag of the Amalekites—see #93 - April 3!) “Do you come in peace?” they asked. He told them that he had come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Samuel invited them, along with Jesse and his sons, to cleanse themselves and join him. Samuel was immediately impressed with Jesse’s oldest son, Eliab. “Surely he is the one God has chosen,” he thought. But God said, “Do not judge by his appearance or his height. He is not the one. People look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” Jesse then introduced his second son. Again, he was not the one God had chosen. Jesse introduced seven of his sons to Samuel. As the prophet met each of them, the Lord said, “No, this is not the one.” Finally, Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons that you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is out in the field watching the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel responded. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” As soon as David walked into the room, Samuel was impressed. He was a healthy, handsome young man. God told the aging priest, “Yes, this is the one I have chosen. Anoint him.” So, Samuel took the oil and poured it on David’s head. From that day on, the Spirit of the Lord left King Saul and was powerfully present with David! And God began to prepare the young man to one day rule all of Israel. Since King Saul was no longer protected by God’s Holy Spirit, an evil spirit was able to torment him. At times he would become very angry and depressed. His servants decided to look for a man who was skilled at playing the harp. Perhaps the music would soothe the king and make him feel better. Saul agreed to their plan. One of the servants said, “I’ve heard of just the right man. He is one of the sons of Jesse from Bethlehem. Not only is he a good musician, but he is also known as a brave warrior and a good speaker. And it’s obvious that God is with him.” So, they sent messengers to find him. The messengers found David out in the field caring for his father’s sheep. When they returned with him to the palace, Saul was immediately impressed with the young man. David not only became the king’s personal musician, but he was also assigned to be one of Saul’s armor bearers. Whenever the king went into a deep depression, he called for David. The music he had learned in the fields soothed the king’s spirit and brought him peace.
Do you sometimes wonder if God is ever going to give you something important to do? As the youngest of eight sons, David probably wondered the same thing! Yet he continued to develop the talents and skills God had given him—even while he was out in the fields caring for the sheep. Because he was prepared, he was ready when God had a job for him! We must stay ready for God to use us!!
