Monthly Thought

March 2009

So I was thinking that sometimes it is very easy for people to feel down about themselves or feel not very important, especially when you are young. Sometimes it seems that everyone else is better than you at everything, I know this feeling in particular as I am the worst sportsman in the world. At school I was bottom at every sport, especially rugby, everyone else would come back caked in mud and I would be completely clean as I got rid of the ball as soon as it came to me! But that was OK because there were other people that weren't good at sport... but they were good at something else like music or studying, it probably wont shock you to find out that I wasn't very good at that either. So I felt like I got a bum deal, everyone else seemed to be bigger, cooler, sportier, musical or even just rich. There seemed to be nothing that I was best at, nothing that made me special or unique.

A while later I found this passage in the Bible that speaks about that.

Essentially God tells this guy Samuel to go and find a new king for Israel and God tells him to go to a guy's house called Jesse, and the king will be one of Jesse's sons. When he gets there he realises that Jesse has quite a few sons. The 1st of which was Eliab…

"When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the LORD." But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." 11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power." (1 Samuel 16:6-13).

OK so in that Bible story God chooses David who is the youngest and the least of all his brothers.

If you feel a bit like you are the least of all your friends or you are just not good enough sometimes, this story speaks boldly against that. The passage says:

"But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height...The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

So no matter how cool, good at things, pretty, sporty, tall, strong or popular you are; God looks at the heart.