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

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let’s get our focus right….

Good day to you all!

I hope and pray I find you all well.

I was watching something on “America’s got talent” the other day.

It got me thinking about how many talent shows they are now.

Do I even dare begin to name them all??  I think not.

But that show got me thinking.

I don’t think it’s possible to count the amount of talented people

there are in the world.

We have an endless supply of talented people.

There is always someone better, faster, intelligent, richer, and

stronger. There is no shortage of talent in the world.

 

We celebrate talent. We reward talent in ways people can only

imagine. Becoming talented has become the main goal.

We are no longer satisfied to be number two, three or four.

We have to be first. We must be recognized.

We must have the shoes, the car, the house, and more.

We focus on the external and forget about the internal.

We abandon character, integrity, modesty and other inner

things all in the pursuit of talent.

We have lost what’s really important.

 

“So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said,

“Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at

his physical stature, because I have refused him.

For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the

outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

1 Samuel 16:6-7

 

God had rejected Eliab! Samuel missed it. He looked at everything

on the outside and thought, “this is the man the Lord has

chosen.”

But the word says, God refused him!

 

God wasn’t impressed with the muscles and how many men he

killed in battle. He wasn’t impressed with how intelligent

he was. Eliab probably didn’t have a relationship with God.

He probably had a proud heart.

I don’t think Eliab worked on his inner man much.

I don’t think things like character and integrity were important

to him.  And because he didn’t work on the inner man God rejected

him!

Let’s look at one more scripture,

 

“You are blessed when you get your inside world – your mind

and heart – put right.

Then you can see God in the world. “

Matthew 5:8

 

Let God come in and put your inside world right.

God wants your heart.

He wants you to be a man or woman of character.

It’s okay to have talent, but don’t make it the main thing.

Blessings to you….

 

Rolain

God’s plan for him took him to Egypt…..!

And the patriarchs [Jacob’s sons], boiling with envy

and hatred and anger, sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt;

but God was with him,

And delivered him from all his distressing afflictions and

won him goodwill and favor and wisdom and understanding

in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor

over Egypt and all his house.  Acts 7:9, 10

 

Joseph’s brothers held nothing back. The word is very clear

how they felt about him. They were boiling with envy, hatred,

and anger toward him. They wanted to do him harm!

When they sold him as a slave they thought that was the

end of him!

I think the enemy does something similar. he brings things

in our lives to take us out, to do us harm. he doesn’t want

us fulfilling our destiny.

But he is seriously misinformed. Like Joseph, God is with

us in the desert, in the storm, in Egypt!

Consider this:

God had a plan for Joseph but he had to go to Egypt for it

to come to pass!

I believe we all have an “Egypt”

to go through but that is not the most important thing to

remember. The most important thing to remember is,

God is with you!

 

Because God was with Joseph in Egypt the word says,

 

He delivered him from ALL his distressing afflictions

(which in reality are many). God will deliver us as well.

 

He won him goodwill and favor and wisdom and

understanding in the sight of Pharaoh, King of Egypt!

Wow….!!!

 

Pharaoh made him governor over Egypt and all his house!

 

That is so crazy right! That all happened in Egypt!!

His brothers wanted to take him out but God stepped in

and turned things around. He delivered Joseph from

the evil plans of man.

God protected him. Anything could of happened to him

but it didn’t because God was with him!

Did Joseph understand at first? Off course not. He had

dreams in his heart, dreams he believed were from God!

But even though he was confused and even though he felt

abandoned, even though he was in fear, even though he

was rejected, even though he was misunderstood, even

though his faith in God waned, even though he was locked

up,

God was with him through it all..…!

 

Friends, please let that truth sink in deep. He is

with us. He knows exactly where you are, what you are

facing. He has not abandoned you, He has not cast you

into the darkness, He has not disowned you, He doesn’t

want to harm you….never! He is with you. He loves you

with an everlasting love! Don’t ever forget that.

be encouraged…….God bless you!

Have a great weekend!

 

Rolain

 

 

 

 

He didn’t want to go that way………!

And Judah said to his brothers, What do we gain if we slay our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites
[and Midianites, these mixed Arabians who are approaching], and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brothers consented.

Then as the Midianite [and Ishmaelite] merchants were passing by, the brothers pulled Joseph up and lifted him out of the well. And they sold him for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took Joseph [captive] into Egypt. (‭Genesis‬ ‭37‬:‭26-28‬ AMP)

We know the story of Joseph very well. He had a dream from God and was not shy to tell anyone! His brothers hated him for the dreams he had been given and his parents rebuked him but the fact remains, God had great plans for him!

God had great plans for Joseph but he was thrown into an empty well by his brothers! What kind of thoughts did he have sitting in that dark empty well???
I can imagine him crying out to his brothers for mercy, pleading to them, begging them to set him free!

If that was not enough his brothers sold him into slavery!! The word gives us a clue into what happened that day:

“They said to each other, “We are being punished for the bad thing we did to our younger brother Joseph. We saw the trouble he was in. He begged us to save him, but we refused to listen. Genesis 42:21

God had a plan for Joseph that is very clear but,
he was first thrown into an empty well then
sold into slavery!!

Did he lose hope?? I would think so……! Was he confused and felt abandoned by God, maybe?

But look at what the word says about Joseph in the darkest time of his life:

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold as a servant.
[Gen. 45:5; 50:20, 21.]

His feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in chains of iron and his soul entered into the iron,

Until his word [to his cruel brothers] came true, until the word of the Lord tried and tested him. (‭Psalm‬ ‭105‬:‭17-19‬ AMP)

God had a plan for Joseph but God knew Joseph had to go Egypt if he was to accomplish God’s call on his life! And the only way Joseph could get to Egypt was as a slave!!! Just imagine if God showed Joseph all that before it actually happened?? I think Joseph would have refused. If Joseph had any say in the creation of his purpose, he would of chosen the most comfortable path! He would of chosen the easiest path! So,

Are you confused at how your life is going right now?
Do you think God has abandoned you?
Does anything make any sense right now in your life?

Just know that God is in control of your life and He loves you! He is guiding you!
Let me share one more scripture with you:

And the patriarchs [Jacob’s sons], boiling with envy and hatred and anger,sold Joseph into slavery in Egypt; but God was with him, [Gen. 37:11, 28; 45:4.] 

And delivered him from all his distressing afflictions andwon him goodwill and favor and wisdom and understanding in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
[Gen. 39:2, 3, 21; 41:40-46; Ps. 105:21.] (‭Acts‬ ‭7‬:‭9-10‬ AMP)

In all the difficult things Joseph went through, God was with him!
God delivered him from ALL his distressing afflictions!

In your dark times, in your trying situations, in your times of testing,
God is with you and He will deliver you! You are not alone!

Joseph thought he was alone in the empty dark well but God was with him, crying with him!
He thought he was alone when his brothers sold him into slavery but God was with Him!!
When he felt rejected because his brothers sold him into slavery God was with him!

As Joseph headed for Egypt he may of thought his dreams were finished but little did he know they were just beginning! You may feel like it’s end of the line for you but it’s actually the beginning! The enemy is lying to you! Your story is just beginning! Trust the Lord because He is with you!

Rolain

Can we look to God when we sin?

I was reading a very well known passage of Scripture this morning during devotional. I read it and spoke to God and left for work. But during the day I had a revelation about that chapter. At Bible School I was taught to read Scripture in context and this chapter is crazy. The chapter I read was Psalm 78. It talks about the mercy of God, the patience of God, and the love of God.

Can we look to God when we sin? I believe this scripture answers the question very well. Let us go through a list of things Israel did while they were in the desert:

 

–          The children of Ephraim were armed and carrying bows, yet they turned back in the day of battle. They kept not the covenant of God and refused to walk according to His law and forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them. (Ps. 78:9-11)

–          And they tempted God in their hearts by asking for food according to their [selfish] desire and appetite. They spoke against God; they said, Can God furnish [the food for] a table in the wilderness? (Ps. 78;18,19)      

 

I will stop there for a bit and highlight something. In Psalm 78:22, 23 it says: “Because in God they believed not [they relied not on Him, they adhered not to Him], and they trusted not in His salvation (His power to save). Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of heaven;                                                                                                         

 

God still had mercy on them. He never withdrew His hand from them despite all the crazy things they were doing. God will forgive you and has forgiven you if you will let Him in. We don’t fully understand God’s mercy. Don’t let the devil lie to you into thinking that God can’t get past your sin no matter how “bad” you may think it is. God can get past your sin and He has….

Let us continue and take a look at more of Israel’s “sins”.

 

–          The wrath of God came down upon them and slew the strongest and sturdiest of them and smote down Israel’s chosen youth. In spite of all this, they sinned still more, for they believed not in (relied not on and adhered not to Him for) His wondrous works. (Ps. 78:31,32)

–          Nevertheless they flattered Him with their tongues. For their hearts were not right or sincere with Him, neither were they faithful and steadfast to His covenant. (Ps. 78:36,37)

–          And time and again they turned back and tempted God, provoking and incensing the Holy One of Israel. They remembered not [seriously the miracles of the working of] His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy. (Ps. 78:41).

–          Yet they tempted and provoked and rebelled against the Most High God and kept not His testimonies. But they turned back and dealt unfaithfully and treacherously like their fathers; they were twisted like a warped and deceitful bow [that will not respond to the archer’s aim]. For they provoked Him to [righteous] anger with their high places [for idol worship] and moved Him to jealousy with their graven images. When God heard this, He was full of [holy] wrath; and utterly rejected Israel, greatly abhorring and loathing [her ways], so that He forsook the tabernacle at Shiloh, the tent in which He dwelt among men [and never returned to it again], (Ps. 78:56-60)

 

This is where a lot of people usually stop. Israel did crazy things, they went overboard. But if we are to fully understand the chapter we must read it in context. Up to this point we see them worshiping idols, tempting God, provoking Him and rebelling against Him. Can you imagine, incensing God??? But let us read the last part of Psalm 78 because this is what counts! It says,

 

Then the Lord awakened as from sleep, as a strong man whose consciousness of power is heightened by wine. And He smote His adversaries in the back [as they fled]; He put them to lasting shame and reproach. (Ps. 78:65, 66)

 

I believe this scripture was speaking of the enemies of Israel.  He still fought on Israel’s behalf even after all they did. After rejecting God, turning their backs on Him and so on God still had their backs!

I don’t know what sin you in but please know that God is a gracious God. He wants you to turn back to Him. Don’t think your sin is too much for God because it isn’t.

But at the same, don’t take advantage of God’s grace. The first few generations of Israel died. They took God’s forgiveness for granted. Some were killed and punished because of their rebellion. God is a holy God and He will not entertain a blatant disregard of His ways. In Numbers 16 we see how holy God is.

Please don’t take God’s grace and mercy for granted. If you want to change and are sincere forgiveness and grace are available no matter what you have done! Your sin can be forgiven. He knows that we were born into sin. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect. You just have to do your part, turn to Him!!!

 

Can we look to God even when we sin? The answer is Yes!

 

Rolain