Thursday, April 6, 2017

1 Samuel 16:11-13, A Cinderella Story



Observation: It follows a very common Biblical motif that God chooses a totally unexpected person to succeed Saul as Israel's king. Jesse is so confident that one of his older sons will be chosen that he leaves David outside tending the sheep. If I were to guess, I'd say the folk tale Cinderella may be influenced by this ancient story. After every other lady of the house has tried on the glass slipper, it's the servant girl who turns out to be the real deal.

Application: It's a liberating thought, that God sees things in us that we can't see in ourselves or each other. Those who know me personally know that right now, I'm in the call process, which means I'm interviewing with congregations to possibly serve as their pastor. Honestly, it's both exciting and intimidating. It's not always easy to feel confident walking (or Skyping) into an interview, considering the great honor and calling, and frankly the difficulty, of what I may be asked to do. But in today's reading it's good to remember that God may see things in me that I can't necessarily see in myself, and that God has plans for each of us that we wouldn't even believe if we were told in advance. Luckily for us, God almost never does. 

Prayer: God, thank you for the story of David, your anointed ruler, ancestor to Jesus, our anointed Messiah. Help us trust in you, that it's not our own strength or intelligence or abilities that will accomplish what you ask of us, but your anointing. Amen. 

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