Brown's Daily Word 5-9-08

Good morning,
I have a friend whose name is David. He often tells me that he loves to read about King David. We all love to read his songs and psalms. He was a nobody who became somebody by the grace of God. He loved to sing the praises of His Lord. He danced before Him in self-forgetfulness. He offered to Him all of his praise and worship. When David went to battle, he fought with complete reliance on the Lord of the battle and under the authority of the Captain of the Host. When he sinned and fell, he repented, coming before the Lord with a broken and contrite heart.
David is often called, "a man after God’s own heart." More has been written about David than any other character in all the Old Testament. Fourteen chapters have been devoted to Abraham, 13 to Joseph, 11 to Jacob, 40 to Moses, but there are 66 chapters in the Old Testament given over to the life of David. In fact, there are also 57 New Testament references to him. He was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd lad from Bethlehem, a giant killer, a composer of Psalms, and the greatest King Israel has ever known. Yet, perhaps, what draws many of us to him is the fact that he was not a polished-marble personality but he blood, bone, and breath, a man who shares our struggles of spirit and soul. Although he was a man of glorious triumphs he was also a man with some great tragedy in his life. Because he struggled in life, we can gain help for our own struggles. David wrestled with success, discouragement, sexual temptation, and parenthood, to mention just a few of his struggles.
When Samuel was sent out by the Lord to anoint the next king of Israel, Samuel began his hunt by focusing on the external. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God said to Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God does not see people as the world does. That David would be anointed Israel’s next king would not of been the world’s choice. He must have seemed too young, lacking in combat experience, of a limited education, and a sheep herder! But, in the mind of God, who is impressed not by brawn or brains but by a heart completely His, it made perfect sense. God revealed to us through the choosing of David that someone, though evidently unnoticed and overlooked by man, had great worth to God. Apparently, even Jesse, David’s father, didn’t recognize his youngest son’s leadership potential. But God saw David’s heart and claimed his service.
Wouldn’t it be great if we all could change our mentality and see beyond the surface of people and know their hearts? When God refused Eliab, the rest of Jesse’s sons were paraded before Samuel, and God rejected every one of them. Samuel finally asked in vs:11, "Are these all the sons you have?" Jesse replied, "I do have one more. He’s out taking care of the sheep, I guess he kind of slipped my mind." Jesse had 8 sons and 2 daughters, so I would imagine that when you have 10 kids you could forget one. Samuel said in the last portion of vs:11, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." It is impossible to know how long they stood there, because the Bible doesn’t give any indication as to us how far away David’s herd was, but when he came--- I love this picture! When David finally came in from the fields, he must have noticed his brothers all dressed up, and everyone standing around. David was wearing his Shepherds garb and still smelled like sheep. God basically said to Samuel, “There, he’s the one!” The prophet of God came over to him, poured oil on his head, it ran down the back of his neck and told him, "You’re the next King." Can you imagine David's reaction to this? What an unexpected, unorthodox, unanticipated choice! Here was a boy that nobody seemed to notice, yet God did, because God doesn’t look at the outward appearances. He looks on the heart. David possessed a heart of dependence on God. David also had a heart of obedience for God. Psalm 40:8 reveals his heart as he wrote, "I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your law is written on my heart." (NLT) David possessed the heart of a servant. In Psalm 89:20 we read where God spoke, saying, "I have found my servant David; I appointed him by pouring holy oil on him." (NCV) David is revealed as "my servant". Servanthood is humility in practice. To be a servant means to perform the menial tasks of all manner of description. To be a servant means not caring who gets the credit. To be a servant you must have just one goal: the success of your superior. Jesus said, in Mark 9:35, "Anyone wanting to be the greatest must be the least—the servant of all!" (LB) Do you know what David did after he was told he was going to be King? He went back out and tended his sheep. Is that what you would of done? I might have been tempted to catch the camel to Jerusalem to check out my new palace. In today's terms I might have gone out to have new business cards printed, changing them from “David the Shepherd” to “David the King!” Such was not the reaction of David. When Saul needed a musician in verse 17, Saul's messenger found David back with the sheep. He was not too proud to tend sheep. David also possessed a heart of integrity. Psalm 78:70 reveals, "He chose David his servant, from tending the sheep.. he brought him to be the shepherd of his people. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart." Do you know what integrity is? It is what you are when no one else is looking. We also must remain, by His grace, true to Him and faithful to Him, even when no one is looking.

Blessed be His Name,
Brown

Please remember in prayer our friend Al Smith who had an emergency surgery for Diberticulosis yesterday. He will be hospitalized for a few days.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8HgAVenbUU