the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Voice of the Lord
ADONAI doesn't see the way humans see—humans look at the outward appearance, but ADONAI looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).
When King Sha'ul (Saul) becomes troubled by "an evil spirit from ADONAI" (1 Samuel 16:14), his servants recommend that he find someone to play soothing music for him on the harp. One servant recommends David, the son of Yishai (Jesse) of Beit- Lechem (Bethlehem), whom he describes as "a brave soldier [who] can fight" (1 Samuel 16:18).
David enters Sha'ul's service as an armor-bearer and personal musician. Later, when he offers to fight the giant Philistine who challenges the army of Israel, Sha'ul tries to dissuade him: "You're just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth!" (1 Samuel 17:33)
Is David a mere boy, or a warrior? Events prove that the servant has seen something that his master cannot see. David has looked beyond mere appearances to discern the God-given ability that rests upon him.
How readily we are led astray by outward appearances in our appraisal of others (and of ourselves)! Like Sha'ul, we are quick to accept the evidence of our senses and ignore the more subtle inward qualities of a person. We are dazzled by the one who eventually proves to be empty while we ignore the one who is truly gifted. We can assess accurately only as we become sensitive to God's purposes.
...seek to evaluate others, as well as myself, with a sensitivity to God's perspective.
RR
The Voice of the Lord, Copyright © 1998 by the Lewis and Harriet Lederer Foundation, Inc. Published by Messianic Jewish Publishers, Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources, www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. No part of this article may be reproduced in print or on the web, or transmitted in any form, without the written permission of the publisher.
