What was his confidence based on?

“When they had come, he looked on Eliab [the eldest son] and said, Surely the Lord’s 

anointed is before Him.” 

1 Samuel 16:6

 

Samuel thought his job was a success when he saw Eliab.

We must remember Samuel was sent to anoint a king, so the person he would anoint

was not ordinary. He would have something that separated him from everyone else.

So when Samuel looked at Eliab’s physical appearance he was convinced he was the one.

He had the muscles, the height, the intelligence, and was well spoken.

What Samuel saw convinced him Eliab was the one but the Lord said something that made

him change his mind;

 

“But the Lord said to Samuel, Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature, 

for I have rejected him. 

For the Lord sees not as man sees; for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord 

looks on the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7

 

“Look not on his appearance or at the height of his stature; for I have rejected him.” (emphasis mine)

 

I like to imagine that Eliab was the “Dwayne Johnson” of his time. He had everything a man would

want. He was a first born, an ultimate warrior, had the voice, and so on. Who wouldn’t want to be like him?

But the Lord rejected him!

The Lord only rejects those who reject Him (Matthew 10:33) so that’s what must have happened here.

Eliab trusted in himself. He didn’t need YAH.

His confidence was in himself. He didn’t look to YAH for help.

We can conclude that Eliab didn’t have a relationship with YAH.

 

There is a lesson we can take from this.

Where is your confidence? Are you depending on yourself, your resources, your education,

your upbringing?

Are those things stopping you from trusting the Lord.

The word is very clear about what YAH is looking at? He is not impressed with our show of strength.

He wants us to look to Him. He wants a relationship with us.

While Eliab was wrapped up in himself, David his brother was in the field getting closer to YAH.

His relationship with YAH was getting stronger and stronger.

He trusted the Lord completely. The Lord was his consuming passion night and day. He

communed with the Lord daily. He sang songs to Him.

 

The Lord called him a man after His own heart.

The Lord wants our hearts friends not our “strength”.

He is not impressed when we try to go at life on our own steam.

He wants to be first in our lives, not second.

He wants our hearts set on Him and nothing else.

 

ACT ON IT – Is the Lord first in your life?

What is stopping Him from being first?

 

Bless you friends

Rolain

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to live out your purpose!

God has a purpose for our lives. That’s the truth but what

does that really mean? Yes, God has a plan for you, for me but

how does that apply to our lives? How does that apply to us now?

 

God showed me something the other day about purpose.

God has a plan for me but what I do daily has an impact on my

purpose.

Am I being faithful with what is in my hand at this moment in

time?

I realized God was looking at what I was doing now!

For example,

This blog is something God has

put in my hands (a talent) and He is looking on to see

if I will make a profit or if I will hide it in the ground!!!!

Do you get it?

 

What about my purity?

God has given me this precious gift and is also looking to see

what I do with it. Do I cherish it or do I disgard it? It matters!

 

God wants me to be faithful with the finances He has given me.

Do I save, do I invest? Do I plan how I use the money I have?

Do I give to the poor? Do I tithe?

In the big picture, the way I use my finances matter!

 

Over the years He has shown me how important it is to

exercise and eat healthy. Am I looking after my temple

by exercising regularly and eating right?

 

I could go on and on but I believe you get the idea. Walking

in purpose means doing the small things He has put in our

hands. He has given you talents and is looking to see if you

will be faithful with them.

Remember the story in the book of Matthew25:14-30

To one He gave five talents, to another He gave two talents and

to the last servant He gave one talent.

They were given a different amount of talents but what mattered

is if they went and did something with the talents they were given!

You may be complaining about the one talent you have been given

but are you being faithful with that one talent??

 

I was so convicted when I realized God wanted me to be faithful

with the one talent He had given me! Sitting on it or burying it

because it was a talent was not going to cut it.

 

Walking in your purpose means being faithful with the one, two

five talents you have been given.

 

I would like to leave you with this thought friends.

God has given some of you five talents, some two talents and

some just one talent but when you are faithful with what He

has given you, He will give you more! If you are that person who

has one talent, be faithful with it. He knows what He is doing!

He is so good!

 

Rolain

 

photo credit: google images