[NIV] 1 The LORD said to Samuel, "How long willmourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king overIsrael? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I amsending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one ofhis sons to be king." - P124
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider hisappearance or his height, for I have rejected him. TheLORD does not look at the things people look at. Peoplelook at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks atthe heart. - P125
10 Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, butSamuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these."
11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"
"There is still the youngest," Jesse answered. "He is tend-ing the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will notsit down until he arrives." - P125
12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He wasglowing with health and had a fine appearance andhandsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise andanoint him; this is the one." 13 So Samuel took the hornof oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers,
and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came pow-erfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.
12 So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And theLORD said, "This is the one; anoint him." 13 So as David stood there among his broth-ers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with theoil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. ThenSamuel returned to Ramah. - P125
The Lord tells Samuel to fill his horn with oil and go to Jesse of Bethlehem.
Samuel invites Jesse and his sons to sacrifice to the Lord with him. - P125
The Lordinstructs Samuel not to look at appearance or height, and when Jesse‘s young-est son David is brought in, God tells Samuel to anoint him. - P125
From that day on,
the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. - P125
In this age dominated by visual media, we are more than ever obsessedwith physical beauty. - P126
This is nothing new, however. Even Samuel, arighteous man of God, shows that he is susceptible to this as he hastilyconcludes that Eliab, Jesse‘s oldest and more impressive-looking son,
must be God‘s choice for the kingship. - P126
The Lord‘s response to Samuelis something we all need to hear: God does not look at the outwardappearance but at the heart. - P126
He cares about where our affections lie,
how faithful and obedient we are, and who or what we are worshiping.
- P126
Therefore, we should not only examine our own hearts but also seek tolook beyond the appearances of others before reaching our conclusions. - P126
When Samuel asks Jesse if he has another son, Jesse treats David as amere afterthought. David, the youngest of eight sons, is tending thesheep and is therefore out of sight and out of mind. - P126
But we are not todespise humble beginnings because God often chooses the lowly toaccomplish His great plans. - P126
The Lord tells Samuel to anoint David, andfrom that day, he is empowered by the Holy Spirit. - P126
This anointing doesnot point to anything extraordinary about David himself. Rather, Godis equipping David so he can serve as the leader of Israel. - P126
The Lord doesthe same with each of us: He fills us with the Holy Spirit, who leads andempowers us to be a blessing to those around us. - P126
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