One by one they passed before him. Young men, tall and strong, faces leathered by the wind and sun. Each time he asked, “This one, Lord?” “No, not this one.” “This one, Lord?” “No, not this one.” Seven stood before him. But for each the answer was the same – “No!”
Samuel had searched for the right man before. He thought he had found him. Saul was an impressive man without an equal in all the land of Israel. He stood a head taller than all the other men. He was the people’s choice, the king of hearts. But Saul had not worn the crown well. He was impatient, impetuous, and rationalized his sin. In the end God rejected the people’s choice and sent Samuel in search for a replacement.
God sent Samuel to Bethlehem. There he was to locate a man named Jesse. One of his sons, God promised, would replace Saul as king. But as each of Jesse’s sons paraded in front of Samuel, God said, “No, not this one!”
Samuel learned that there was one more son. But certainly he could not be God’s choice. He was young. The last of eight. The baby of the family. He was assigned the job no one else wanted -tending the sheep. Most of his time was spent alone or in the fields. Leaders needed seasoning, maturity, experience and people skills. The youngest may be able to handle a few sheep, but a nation surrounded by enemies? Forget it! However, Samuel had heard God’s message that the king would be one of Jesse’s sons, so he sent for the sheepherder. And when the young man, David, was brought before the prophet the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one.” Samuel remembered the Lord’s words,
“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
As American Christians, we spend a lot of time and money tending to our outward appearance, don’t we? Blessed with resources, we use them on the things that make us look good. But God’s perspective is radically different than ours.
He looks right past the things we value and focuses His penetrating eyes on our heart. His sharp scalpel cuts through the surface “stuff” and explores the very center of our thinking, emotion, and desires. God is concerned with our heart. We must be concerned as well.
Let me suggest four ways in which you can develop your heart today.
Read the Word. If you desire to develop spiritually you must be reading and applying the Word. No shortcuts. No formulas. No way around it. Just as staying in physical shape demands discipline, so does staying in shape spiritually. We have put together a Bible Reading Plan. This plan will give instruction and encouragement for the beginner, intermediate, and the advanced student of the Bible. I challenge you to develop your heart through the Word.
Worship the Lord. Worship simply means to show reverence, honor, and devotion to God in every area of life. But here let me focus on one area – corporate worship. Read the New Testament and you will find Christians coming together for prayer, praise, singing, communion, baptism, and listening to the Word of God. A growing Christian is a corporate worshipper. This year, determine that you and your family will consistently worship every weekend. Develop your heart through worship.
Serve the Lord. The what’s-in-it-for-me mindset which characterizes our culture must not characterize the Christian. We must be those who use our gifts to serve the Lord and one another (1 Peter 4: 10). Are you using your gift? If not, why not? Develop your heart through service.
Share the Lord. We dare not keep the life-changing message of Christ to ourselves. Tell someone what Christ has done for you. We must prayerfully and purposefully build relationships with others in order to be God’ s instruments for eternal change. Develop your heart through sharing.
May today be the day that we determine to impress God, not with our outward appearance but with the adornment and development of our hearts.
