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

 

 

 

 

 

 

When evil is all I see…..

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

 

“All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by

anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart

has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].

Proverbs 15:15

 

This scripture spoke to me this morning. There have been a

few things on my mind which have got me in quite a panic,

things that have the potential to turn my life upside down.

The feelings come and go but today as I read Proverb I saw

where I erred. God doesn’t want me to stay in fear. He doesn’t

want me to be anxious. He wants me to bring all those feelings

to Him.

 

I don’t help myself when I allow anxious thoughts and

forebodings to control me.

I looked up the word “foreboding” and this is what I

found:

 

Foreboding – A feeling of coming evil

 

My days are made evil when I allow those kind of thoughts to

control me! Expecting to lose, expecting bad things to happen,

expecting God to not come through do real harm!

As sinners we have a natural proclivity to be negative but we

can’t allow it. We must fight all things negative with everything

in us. With the help of the Holy Spirit we can be positive,

with His help we can begin to see light when darkness threatens

to overwhelm us.

 

“but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of

circumstances].

Proverbs 15:15

 

That’s the kind of attitude I want. He is glad because he knows

God is faithful in the storm.

Hell has broken loose in his life but he is glad because he knows

God will not let him go and that hell has no power over him!

He knows God is fighting for him.

He knows he will win because God is with him.

Nothing can shake him!

 

Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what’s

happening around him he is glad because he knows,

God is his Strong Tower!

“Things will turn out alright“, is his conviction!

 

So with that said, I know what I should do. God has yet

to fail me. He has been faithful to me in the darkest of nights.

He has proved Himself again and again……

Even though things are hard at the moment I will refuse to

see disaster.

Instead I choose to see God because He will come through

for me! He will not let me slip, He will not leave me to be

taken out by the enemy! I will live and not die because He

is faithful!!!!

 

What about you friend?

 

Rolain

 

photo credit: google images