It is easy to live in the past, to not let go, to resist moving on, especially when we are asked to trust completely on what God is asking of us. When we have lost something/someone upon whom we trusted and whom we have grown to love, it is very difficult to be sent elsewhere. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to choose a replacement for Saul. Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. All of them were impressive men. Surely, one of them was the right choice. But God said “No." "Do not judge from...appearance[s] or from...lofty stature[s]”. An eighth son, just entering puberty, was attending the flock. Samuel instructs Jesse to send for him. When David arrived, the Lord said: “Anoint him; he is the one.”
David was the most unlikely of Jesse’s sons to be chosen as
the next king of Israel and was not the one Samuel would have anointed if left
to his personal preferences. Many times you and I
find ourselves in the same plight as Samuel, that is, our choices are not the
choice God would make. At times we are foolish enough to make our own choices
without consulting the Lord. At other times, we have more sense and seek the
Spirit’s enlightenment, the Spirit’s wisdom. Appearances can blind us to the
point that we look no deeper. How
important it is for us to step back and ask: Is there anyone else I should consider? Is there
another option that needs to be examined?
Help me, Lord, look beyond externals, to not get tripped up by appearances. I pray for the grace to step back, look deeper, and, above all, to ask for your guidance in the choices I make each day. And may I remember that the least likely of choices may be the right one! When I say to myself "Oh, it can't be," the truth may be "Oh, yes, it can!"
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