Brown's Daily Word 6-15-09

Good morning,
Praise the Lord for this new day. The Lord blessed us with a glorious day in His House yesterday. " Better is one day in your house, O Lord, than thousands elsewhere."
I started my treatment last week. The Lord has given me strength. I was able to tape for the Friday evening Television outreach, to lead the mid-week Bible study on Wednesday, and to conduct a large wedding for young friends John and Megan. . . Megan had 8 bridesmaids. Then, yesterday I preached during 3 worship services. Thank you for praying for me. Our dear friends Sandy and Gail joined us for worship, and Laureen's friends Emily and Jesse also joined us for worship. After the service we all joined together for Sunday dinner, praising the Lord for His goodness and grace.
The Scripture reading yesterday was taken from 1 Samuel 16. The people of the Lord had asked for a king, and the Lord gave them what they asked for - a king. Saul was appointed to be king over Israel, and he made a royal mess of things. As a result of Saul's continued disobedience, the Lord ultimately rejected him as king, and took His guiding spirit from him. In a very real sense, Saul is became dead in the eyes of the Lord. Samuel mourned the loss of Saul, though Saul was not actually dead physically; He was still alive, and still on the throne, though he had abandoned the Lord God. In response to Saul's radical departure from following after the one true God, the Lord decided to anoint a new king, using Samuel as his instrument. Samuel was chosen to go on a rather covert mission, to anoint the new king. Samuel knew the purpose of his mission and when he saw Eliab, standing tall and proud, Samuel though that he was looking on the one God had chosen. Not true. So the Lord spelled it out for him, making His point of view abundantly clear, "I chose who I chose. Don't judge by an outward appearance. I don't see things the way you see them." God doesn't see things the way we do. He looks at people's hearts, rather than their physical appearance. The Lord made it clear that Eliab was not the man for the job. Jesse presented all of his sons whom he thought to be viable candidates, and all were rejected. Not one was acceptable to be the new king of Israel. How could this be? Jesse thought that he knew which ones would be best suited to be king; there was no one left. That is, only the youngest brother remained, but he was still a youth, playing with slingshots and tending the sheep. When Samuel asked, "Are these all the sons you have?", Jesse responded,"There is still the youngest, but he's out in the fields watching the sheep and goats." "Send for him at once," Samuel commanded. "We will not sit down to eat until he arrives." So Jesse sent for him. He was a dark and handsome youth, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, "This is the one; anoint him." God does not see things the way we do. Even though David was the last in long line of brothers, considered by his father to be the least of all of them, in God's plan, he was worthy to be anointed as king. As David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. The Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then, after Samuel completed his special assignment, he returned to Ramah. " Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit* that filled him with depression and fear," but the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. David became God's new chosen and anointed king. David could have become arrogant and puffed-up by God's appointment, thinking, "I am the greatest, greater than my brothers, and greater than King Saul. Yet, that's not what David did. He did not step up to demand his place at the top. Instead, he took on the role of servant. He showed himself greater than Saul, by making himself. Though David knew he had been anointed as king, there is no indication at this point that Saul did. He summoned David to come and serve him as a court musician and healer, to soothe his nerves and calm the tormenting Spirits. Had God abandoned Saul? No, he hadn't. As a matter of fact, He sent David to minister healing to him. If He had abandoned Saul, He could have just left him there to suffer. Physically, Saul had all the qualifications to be a great king. The Bible says he stood "head and shoulders" above the rest of the people. Yet, in the end, he was made small. David was relatively small. He was a young shepherd and skillful musician who might never have dreamed of being anything more. Yet, among all his larger and more qualified brothers, he was chosen by God for greatness. David did not achieve his greatness by walking right up and demanding it. For many years, he works faithfully and loyally for King Saul, training under the current King of Israel, even though he knew that he himself had received God's anointing. He suffered abuse and even attempts on his life, yet he remained a servant and an instrument for God's purposes. So the least became the greatest, and the greatest humbled himself as a servant, and the Lord was always with Him. From the line of Jesse, from the house of David, another child came, born in a lowly stable, and laid in a manger in a manger for His bed, born anointed to be king, he lived his life as a servant. He is, He was, and He shall always be the greatest, Christ the Lord. Jesus was victorious in life, and victorious over death. He is sitting at the right hand of God in the most favored place. Right now. Always and forever. Amen.
Brown
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Q5vVa0q8Q