"God's Pick!"

“Wait, you want him?”

16 And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons. 2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the Lord. 3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. 4 And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? 5 And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice. 6 And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him. 7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the Lord chosen this. 10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. 11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. 12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. Saul had rebelled against God and followed the will of the people, so God has rejected him. Now he has sent Samuel down to the home of Saul’s neighbor, Jesse, the Bethlehemite.

Samuel however, fears that if Saul discovers what he is doing that he will be killed and he questions God’s will here in verse 2, 2 And Samuel said, How can I go? if Saul hear it, he will kill me.

The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), 1 Sa 16:2. So the Lord tells him to take a heifer as a Sacrifice and if anyone asks, just tell’em you came to sacrifice. Easy right? One would think, but once Samuel gets to Jesse's house he can’t find the son he's sent to anoint. Jesse not wanting to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity wouldn’t take no for an answer and paraded all seven of his eight sons in front to the prophet again. “Look, Sam, I know ya said it’s none of these, but take one last look.” So to humor the old man he looked again and again the Lord said “NO!”

Samuel then asks the all-important.” question, Are all your sons here? Jesse confesses that here is the baby but he’s busy watching the sheep.”.

As we read, Samuel says,” send for him, because we can’t sit down until he gets here.”

I digress here, There was a reason why God past Eliab and all his brothers. Why because no matter how much they looked the part, their heart just wasn’t right to please the Lord. Then here comes ole David

red-haired and red-faced and God said, “That’s him, there he is, pour the oil!

The Bible tells us that the heart is a wicked thing, who can know it? Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

Then there are other times when man gets in the way of God’s plan.

In Mark 5:35 Jerrus’s daughter was sick and near death, he has sought out Jesus and now has him in tow, but while they are going a woman sick in her body for 12 years stops them by reaching out and touching his garment. While Jesus is talking with her a messenger finds Jerrius and tells him not to bother the master any longer that the girl is dead! The shock he must have felt! But when Jesus heard it he told Jerrius to only believe and not to be afraid. Then when they reach his home the mourners are there and laugh Jesus to scorn when he tells them not to weep because she is only asleep. Jesus’ mission is to give life and nothing stands in the way of his plan not doctors' diagnosis, not sickness, not even death can deter the will of God!

So as we meet here today we all must understand that it is not our condition that moves God, but rather how much we are in the will of God. Well brother Newell , What can I do for God in the shape I’m in? God is not looking for great feats of heroism, nor does he seek out great knowledge or talent. What God is looking for is a simple act of obedience. Are you willing to hear God’s call and obey his will and not go by what it looks like but only believe? God is here to day to fulfill his purpose, and that is that you may have your life and have it more abundantly! closing prayer.