Note: Today is my wife Isabella’s birthday. If you know her, please help me wish her an amazing day. I love her dearly and she is a blessing to the world!
Today I will continue with “Faith and Patience Volume 5 – Greater is Coming!” In yesterday’s message, we saw how God told the prophet, Samuel, to go to Bethlehem, to Jesse’s house, and to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel.
It’s disappointing to me that while Samuel was preparing for the supposed worship, and he asked Jesse to have his boys join him in the ceremonial act of cleansing, that Jesse did not think it necessary to send one of the boys to get David. Jesse went through the entire ritual with seven of his eight boys, and it seemingly did not bother him that David, the little shepherd boy, was out tending sheep. It also bothers me that not one of the brothers said anything. It’s almost like David was the forgotten son. He was the youngest, and he was out doing his family duties, but when it seemed like the family forgot about David, God certainly did not.
After learning of the eighth and final son, Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” I can picture the awkwardness of the moment. Jesse sent one of his boys to get David and he and the other six sons waited, without really knowing why the man of God was in their home, and not knowing what this had to do with David. But when David arrived it all became clear. The Bible says:
(1 Samuel 16:12,13 ERV)
This son was a good-looking, healthy young man. He was very handsome. The Lord said to Samuel, “Get up and anoint him. He is the one.” Samuel took the horn with the oil in it, and poured the special oil on Jesse’s youngest son in front of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord came on David with great power from that day on. Then Samuel went back home to Ramah.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. God called you by His grace, not your human effort or performance.
a) As David’s brothers were looking on, the Lord anointed their little brother to be the next king of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day. This was done without any explanation. This was done without highlighting any qualifications. This was done without any fanfare. In a simple home, in the presence of a family who did not even acknowledge him, David was anointed by God because HE WAS PICKED for the assignment. He did not ask for it. This was not something birthed in his heart. This was not an act of his will. This was birthed in God’s heart before David was born. This was his destiny. He was picked for his purpose!
b) David would have never imagined himself being king in 1,000 years. But without any human effort, the LORD selected David for an assignment that he was destined for from the foundations of the world! That’s the grace of God. This is how God operates. He calls you into the plans and purposes He made for you before you were born. He does this simply because He loves you, and He wants to see you become the man/woman you are destined to be. You are Destiny’s Child!
2. No human can stop your divine assignment.
a) David’s father did not think enough about him to have him in the lineup. Not one of his seven brothers spoke up. But that did not change God’s plan. You may be overlooked by the people around you, purposefully omitted from key ceremonies/meeting, and maybe even flat-out oppressed by others, but that does not change the fact that you are destined. What God has for you is for you. No one can stop God’s plan! You are Destiny’s Child!
b) We serve a God who will bless you right in front of those who dismissed you. He will prepare a table for you in the presence of your enemies (Psalm 23:5). God will make them your audience. They will watch as God elevates you to places you in positions you didn’t even ask for.
c) We serve a God who will bypass norms to bless you. Samuel wanted to anoint Jesse’s firstborn, Eliab. This is understandable because, in addition to being a good looking young man, Hebrew tradition placed the greatest blessing on the firstborn son. But God, by His grace, had other plans. God overruled the norms to release David into His destiny. God will do the same for you! When that happens, no person or policy will be able to withhold the force of God’s purpose for your life.
d) The oil (blessing) reserved for you will not flow for anyone else. No one can take your blessing. That’s why you don’t need to get upset when others get blessed. They have their blessings, and you have yours. When you know who you are, and you are at peace with whom God has called you to be, you can celebrate the diversity of giftings and callings without jealousy. You know that building someone else us, celebrating them in earnest, does not diminish you in any way. They have their assignment, and you have yours. You can honor them, and they can honor you because all of us must run our race, with our grace, at our pace!
3. We serve a God who releases unexpected blessings.
a) God made plans for you before the world began. God has foreknoweldge of your decisions and actions. Nothing catches God off-guard. God is never surprised. (Side note: this is why God is not freaking out over COVID-19. He already knew this would happen. He is still God and His plans for our lives are still valid). While God knows everything, we do not. God reveals things to us in progressive and incremental ways. Many times, He prepares us for what is coming. Sometimes, like He did in the case of David, His blessings are truly a surprise.
One moment, David was tending to his father’s sheep, like he had for years. The next moment, he was summoned home and anointed by a prophet of God to be the next King of Israel. This was completely unexpected. This was beyond David’s wildest dreams. But if was the heart of God. My point is that God loves us so much that He sometimes surprises us with things that far exceed anything we could imagine. We servse a God of unexpected blessings!
b) There are things you are called to do that you never asked for. These are things you never concocted in your own mind or heart. These are things that are beyond your wildest dreams (Eph 3:20). As you walk with God, He will reveal your destiny to you. When He does, as far-fetched as it may seem, your job is to OPEN YOUR HEART to God’s dream for your life. Faith simply says, “YES” to God’s grace!
c) Sometimes God interrupts your day, in the middle of a routine task, in order to bless you richly. Not because you necessarily did anything to deserve it, but simply because of His grace and love towards you.
d) You are Destiny’s Child. You were born with God’s destiny for your life already mapped out. Your job is to FIND IT, FOLLOW IT and FINISH IT before you die!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, Like David, I know You have destined me for Your purpose. When I am overlooked by others, You notice. When I am omitted from the lineup, You have a way of stopping everything until I show up. No man can stop me from what You have destined for me. I am Destiny’s Child. Your Kingdom plans and purposes for me shall come to pass. You prepare a table for me, to bless me, right in front of my enemies. You elevate me before those who sought to come against me, just to show how much You love Your children. You don’t do this because I deserve it. You do this by Your grace. My job is to receive it by faith! I believe and I receive! GREATER IS COMING FOR MEI I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
