YEAR 2, WEEK 31, Day 3, Wednesday, 30 July 2025

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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Wednesday, 30 July 2025:

1 Samuel 16:1 – The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”

The grief over Saul’s failure is real, but God calls His servant forward. We should not cling to sorrow over what God has already moved on from. God’s plans are redemptive, forward-looking, and holy. He does not abandon His purposes, even when people fail. God’s rejection of Saul is not the end of the story — it is the beginning of David’s. We must let go of our attachment to things and people God has rejected and move on in obedience.

• Philippians 3:13-14 — Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
• Isaiah 43:18-19 — Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
• 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
• Luke 9:62 — Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”
• Ephesians 4:22-24 — …to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
• Lamentations 3:22-23 — The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

1 Samuel 16:2-3 – And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.”

Samuel’s fear is understandable — Saul has become unpredictable and dangerous. Yet God provides a wise way forward. Obedience to God often requires courage, but God does not call us without also guiding us.

1 Samuel 16:4-5 – Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, “Do you come peaceably?” And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

Samuel’s presence causes fear — perhaps because prophets were often bearers of judgment. But Samuel’s mission this time is one of quiet anointing, not public rebuke. God’s work is often done in small, quiet, unseen ways — like choosing a new king not in the palace but in a little town.

1 Samuel 16:6 – When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before him.”

Even Samuel, a seasoned prophet, assumes based on appearance. He expects God’s choice to look the part — tall, strong, kingly like Saul. But God is not impressed by externals.

1 Samuel 16:7 – But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

This is a profound truth and a constant corrective to our flawed judgments. We are drawn to charisma, height, appearance, and personality, but God searches the inner life. He desires faith, humility, integrity, and love. A shepherd’s heart, not a warrior’s fame. This verse is foundational for understanding God’s kingdom — God values what man ignores and elevates the humble in heart.

• Proverbs 16:2 — All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit.
• Proverbs 20:27 — The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.
• Jeremiah 17:10 — “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”
• Hebrews 4:12 — For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
• Romans 2:16 — …on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

1 Samuel 16:8-10 – Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the LORD chosen this one.” And Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.”

All the obvious candidates are passed over. Jesse doesn’t even consider David a possibility. But God often chooses the unexpected. We must not discount people — or ourselves — just because others have overlooked us.

1 Samuel 16:11 – Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.”

David is left out, busy tending the sheep — a task usually assigned to the least important member of the family. Yet this shepherd boy is the one after God’s heart. God honors the humble servant, even when no one else sees.

1 Samuel 16:12-13 – And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

David is not chosen because of his looks, though he is described as handsome — but because God saw his heart. And God gives His Spirit to empower David. The Spirit’s presence is what separates him, not simply his skill or courage. God anoints those He chooses and gives them the power to accomplish His will.

1 Samuel 16:14 – Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the LORD tormented him.

This marks a tragic turning point. When God’s Spirit departs, the void is filled with torment. The absence of God’s presence brings darkness. We must never take the presence of the Spirit for granted.

1 Samuel 16:15-17 – And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.”

Even Saul’s servants recognize the need for help. Music has power to soothe the soul, but ultimately it is God who gives relief. Ironically, Saul seeks relief from the very one who will replace him.

1 Samuel 16:18 – One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the LORD is with him.”

David’s reputation precedes him. He is known for both character and competence. But most importantly, “the LORD is with him.” This is what sets him apart. This echoes 1 Samuel 13:14 — David is a man after God’s own heart. He is being prepared for leadership not through ambition, but through faithful service and humility. God will use your God-given passions, talents, skills, and abilities, but ultimately great leaders are enabled by God working through them to do what would be impossible for them without Him. People are often enamored and misled by talented, capable ungodly leaders because there aren’t enough faithful Christian leaders being used mightily by God to do what only God can do and intends to do through His ambassadors. Does your life reveal to others what you can do or what God can do through a humble, faithful, usable servant?

• Exodus 31:3-5 — “and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship, to devise artistic designs, to work in gold, silver, and bronze, in cutting stones for setting, and in carving wood, to work in every craft.” (Speaking of Bezalel, chosen for the Tabernacle construction.)
• Numbers 27:18 — So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him.”
• Judges 3:9-10 — When the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up for them a deliverer, Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he judged Israel. He went out to war, and the Lord gave Cushan-rishathaim king of Mesopotamia into his hand. And his hand prevailed over Cushan-rishathathaim.
• Judges 6:34 — But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon, and he sounded the trumpet, and the Abiezrites were called out to follow him.
• Judges 13:25 — And the Spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.” (Speaking of Samson)
• 1 Samuel 10:6 — Then the Spirit of the Lord will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them and be turned into another man.” (Speaking to Saul)
• Isaiah 61:1 — The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound….
• Acts 1:8 — “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
• Acts 4:31 — And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

1 Samuel 16:19-20 – Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul.

David’s path to the throne begins by returning to service, not seizing power, but humbly responding to a call to serve the very man he will one day replace. He does not promote himself but lets God open the door.

1 Samuel 16:21 – And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer.

God arranges the relationship between Saul and David. David’s favor with Saul is the Lord’s doing. God places His people exactly where they need to be, even in the presence of enemies or the spiritually tormented. Nothing is accidental in the plan of God.

1 Samuel 16:22-23 – And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.

David’s playing brought peace to Saul, not because of the music alone, but because God’s Spirit worked through him. Saul does not yet know that the one bringing him peace is the one God has anointed to replace him. God’s ways are mysterious but always wise. David ministers to Saul long before he takes the throne, showing that faithful leadership begins with humble service.

David entered Saul’s service and became his armor-bearer, and whenever Saul was tormented, David played the lyre to soothe him. This initial relationship was marked by David’s faithful service to a deeply troubled man. As the story will soon unfold, Saul will become consumed by jealousy and repeatedly try to kill David (e.g., 1 Samuel 18:11; 19:10; 20:33). Yet even when David has clear opportunities to kill Saul, such as in the cave at En-gedi (1 Samuel 24:3–7) and when sneaking into Saul’s camp (1 Samuel 26:8–11), he will refuse to harm him, citing Saul’s status as the Lord’s anointed. But perhaps there is more behind David’s actions than duty alone.

David’s time ministering to Saul may have forged a deep sense of compassion for the man Saul once was, allowing David to see beyond Saul’s madness to the image of God in him. In loving his enemy through humble service, David may have learned to actually love him from the heart. Jesus commands this kind of love in Matthew 5:44–45: “But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.” Paul echoes this in Romans 12:20–21, urging believers to feed their enemies and overcome evil with good. Love is not always born out of warm feelings — it is forged in obedience and tested in suffering. David’s restraint and concern for Saul are a powerful Old Testament picture of Christlike love: not returning evil for evil but overcoming evil through patient, faithful mercy. Saul didn’t really change through the process (though he could have), but David did. Loving our enemies in action opens the door for God to transform our hearts and teach us what true love looks like.

“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 30 July 2025: Be faithful in the hidden places. God sees the heart, not the hype. Serve where you are — among the sheep, in the quiet, unnoticed roles — and let God elevate you in His time. Trust Him to see what others cannot, and remain humble even when doors open. Leadership that honors Christ begins with a heart wholly His and a willingness to serve even those you may one day succeed.

Pray: “Lord, create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me. Teach me to value what You value. Give me the faith to serve in the small places, the humility to obey without recognition, and the courage to wait on Your timing. Let my life reflect Your presence, not just my abilities. May I lead, love, and serve with the heart of a shepherd, always pointing others back to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”