“What’s in your Heart?”
By Sue Gebel
Remember the Capital One commercial, “What’s in your wallet?” But has anyone ever asked you, “What’s in your Heart?”
Jesus tells us in Matthew 12:34 For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. In Matthew 15:19, Jesus says, For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery,…
Why did God choose David to be king of Israel? He committed some "pretty big sins." As you read 1 Samuel 16 -17, you get a better picture of who David is and what God desires in a man.
Samuel goes to Bethlehem to anoint Israel’s next king and Jesse’s sons parade in front of him, starting with the oldest first. 1 Samuel 16:6-7 says, When they came, he (Samuel) looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
God’s standard for selection differs from ours. In 1 Samuel 13:14 God speaks to Saul, Israel’s first king. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”
The prophet Samuel anointed David as king. David is described by one of Saul’s court officials in 1 Samuel 16:18 “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing (the lye), a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”– David is not yet age 20, nor has he fought Goliath. What a testimony to David’s character and his heart!
Questions for Contemplation:
What do people say about you? What does God see in your heart?
Prayer: Lord, create in me a pure heart and renew a right Spirit within me. May your presence be evident in my life as I offer words of hope and encouragement to those whom I encounter. Amen.