29/09/2020
God looked at Adam and saw a world. He looked at Abraham and saw nations. In Jacob, a deceiver, He saw a Messiah. In Moses the murderer, God saw a deliverer. Can you imagine looking at a stammering young man and seeing the greatest leader in history? God saw a king in a shepherd boy. When the Israelites wanted a king, God sent Samuel to the home of Jesse. When Jesse heard why Samuel was there, he dressed up all his sonsāthe handsome one, the tall one, the curly-haired one, the strong one, the muscular one. All the sons of Jesse twirled out before Samuel, from the greatest to the least. With his vase of anointing oil, Samuel watched Jesseās show as he presented his sons: āThis is my intelligent son who graduated from the University of I Donāt Know Whatš
.ā After the guy gave a speech, Samuel said, āNo.ā The next son came out dressed like Pat Paulsonš and God said, āNo.ā A third son gave a nice speech about philosophy and again God said, āNo.ā Finally, after Jesse had paraded all of his sons before him, Samuel said, āIām sorry. None of these is Godās choice for kingšÆ. Do you have any other sons?ā Then Jesse said, āYesā¦well no. I just remembered. I do have a little boy, my youngest son. Heās just a little runt whoās out taking care of the sheep. Heās not dressed up like my other sons, nor have his hands been manicured and his body scented with perfumes from the East. This guyās really smelly because heās been out with the sheep for quite some time.ā āBring him,ā Samuel replied. āLet me look at him.ā So Jesse sent for his youngest son. When Samuel saw Jesseās youngest son walk into the house, a little boy, he began to unscrew the lid of his vase. āI think I have found the guy Iām looking for,ā Samuel said.
(Notice that God chose the son who was out working. He was busy. God chooses busy people.) Most of us are like Jesse. We look, but we donāt see. Were you the black sheep in your family? (You know God likes sheep.) Has your family told you that you are a nobody?