God's Providence, God's Will, and God's Guidance

In today's first reading, 1 Sam 16: 1-3, God asks Samuel to go to Bethlehem to choose one of Jesse's  sons as king of Israel in place of Saul, whom the Lord has rejected as king.  Saul is scared to follow these directions.  "How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me."  Go, the Lord says to him, and say to Jesse that "you have come to offer a sacrifice to the Lord".  God does not leave out any detail, including how Samuel will know which son of Jesse to choose.  God covers that point, as well:  "... you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you."  The  first of Jesse's sons appears and Samuel says to  himself: "Surely, the Lord's anointed is here before him."    What does Samuel hear within himself: "No! Do not judge "from his appearance or from his lofty stature...Not as man sees does God see,because he sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart."  Seven sons appear before Samuel and none are the one chosen to be king. Samuel asks: Are these all of your sons? and Jesse says "No, the  youngest son is tending sheep."  "Send for him!" And sure enough this is the one God has chosen. Samuel anoints David and immediately "the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David."

First of all, God is in charge!  And how often does God not choose that person we would reject! Second of all, how easy it is for us to judge a person by appearances and by stature,  not aware what is in the heart of a person, especially of the persons we deem not capable of the position that needs to be filled according to God's plan.  Thirdly, how readily we may judge ourselves as incapable of a job that God is directing us to or directing others to give to us, forgetting that, whatever the job is, God anoints us for that job. The strength to do that job, the wisdom to carry the job out according to God's will and the light to bring into whatever darkness we encounter comes from God, not from us.  Without God, we are not capable of any good that needs to be accomplished.  That good flows from God's life within us, not from ourselves alone.  God works with us and prepares the way before us, as He did for Samuel and for David!