Introduction

Hey church, today I’m so excited to dive into the Word of God with you as we continue in our series Called & Anointed. We’re going to take a look into the life of David and His anointing as King of Israel. Through this amazing story we see the beauty of how our heavenly Father looks beyond our external packaging and chooses the most unlikely people to manifest His power. He does this, as we’ll see, in spite of our weaknesses, shortcomings, and brokenness.

In fact it’s almost as if God glories in using ordinary people for His extraordinary purposes.

Main Teaching

In this passage, we see God instructing Samuel to go to Bethlehem and anoint one of Jesse's sons as the new king of Israel. This is such a powerful reminder that God often looks beyond the packaging when selecting those He wants to use for His purposes. The world may judge us based on our appearance, our background, or our qualifications, but God sees our hearts and knows our true potential. This is a crucial lesson for us to learn, as it can help us to recognize the value and potential in ourselves and others, even when it may not be immediately apparent.

When Samuel arrived at Jesse's house, he was presented with Jesse's sons, who were all impressive in their own ways. Samuel, like many of us, was initially drawn to the eldest son, Eliab, who had the appearance of a strong and capable leader. However, God quickly corrected Samuel's perspective, reminding him that He does not look at the outward appearance but at the heart. This is a powerful reminder that God's ways are not our ways, and His criteria for choosing those He will use are often very different from our own.

As we continue reading, we see that none of Jesse's seven sons who were present were chosen by God. Instead, it was the youngest son, David, who was out tending the sheep, who was anointed as the future king of Israel. David was not the obvious choice based on his appearance or position in the family, but God saw something in him that made him the perfect candidate for the role. God is not limited by our human expectations or assumptions, and He is more than capable of using the most unlikely people to accomplish His purposes.

This truth is not only applicable to the story of David but is also evident throughout the Bible and in the lives of many believers today. Time and time again, we see God choosing the weak, the broken, and the outcasts to demonstrate His power and love. In doing so, He shows that His strength is made perfect in our weakness, and He receives the glory for the work that is accomplished through us.

As we apply this truth to our own lives, it is essential that we take this lesson to heart. We must resist the temptation to judge ourselves or others based on external factors, such as appearance, background, or qualifications. Instead, we should strive to get to know others so that we can see them with God’s eyes.

This perspective can be incredibly freeing, as it allows us to let go of the pressure to conform to the world's standards and expectations. Instead, we can focus on developing our relationship with God and seeking His will for our lives, trusting that He will use us in ways that we may never have imagined. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:33, “Seek first the kingdom and its righteousness and all these other things will be added to you as well.”

In order to truly seek God’s kingdom, we must also be willing to let go of our own pride and self-sufficiency ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium

God's power is made perfect in our weakness.