God Looks on the Heart
II Chron. 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.
God obviously prioritizes the inward above the outward. While people are busy trying to impress each other, He is searching for those who will search for Him. As God's eyes were searching over Israel looking for those whose HEARTS were toward Him, and committed to Him, His eyes landed in Bethlehem, on one of the great grandsons of Ruth and Boaz.
If there had been a spiritual "thermal" map of the world, Bethlehem was glowing red. But this spiritual fire wasn't necessarily at the center of town or at the gate of the elders. It was in the outskirts, in the wide-open wilderness places around Bethlehem, where a young man, probably 12 or 13 years old, was camped out for days at a time taking care of sheep.
David seemed easy to lose track of. He was out of sight, out of mind, even to his family at times. Such was the life of a shepherd: lonely, forgotten. Yet, the eyes of the Lord were fixed on David. He was not forgotten or alone. God Himself drew near to David in the hills of Judea.
In those times, Samuel's school of the prophets had taken up the arts, worshipping God on instruments, praying and prophesying with song. No doubt, Israel knew of this guild of prophetic intercessors, musicians, and worshippers. Perhaps they influenced David. He decided to take up the harp, and he found that when he worshipped with music, he would enter into indescribable fellowship with his Maker. Songs began to come, as he poured out his love in response to God's Presence. These times were more than creative; they were inspired.
Though David was off of everyone's radar, he was on God's mind and had the attention of heaven. I believe when he sought after the Lord, He started without having any idea of what his destiny was. He just wanted to know who God was. The fruit of the revelation of God is a revelation of who you are in God and what your destiny is in Him.
New Dreams, New Instincts
As David communed with the Lord, he began to dream. God's heart for the Hebrew people became woven into the fabric of David's heart. David began to dream of a nation living in communion with God and a nation living in the power of God's presence. He became detached from the normal limits and expectations that would be put on a young person. When a lion came against the flock, his natural instinct wasn't to run. He saved the lamb out of the lion's mouth, and when the lion shifted its attack to David, he caught it by the mane and killed it.
When you live in the Presence of God, your definition of "normal" gets changed, your perspective changes. Something of God's capability and supernatural power are imparted to you, and you became capable of things that are unexpected.
Oblivious to Opinions of Men
It was almost as if David was so secure in the love of God that he was oblivious to the fact that he was looked upon as insignificant, or just plain forgotten by everyone else.
This is the freedom God has also called us to live in! When we try to find security and significance through what we do, we become performance bound and removed from our destiny. When we live out of security in the love of God, we can move into our destiny in Him.
The world says, "when you are famous" or "when you get a big break," you'll be significant." Your heavenly Father says, "you're already significant to me. I know who you are, even if nobody else does."
Saul was so concerned with outer appearance and with pleasing man that he disobeyed God's clear commands. While Saul was all wrapped up in trying to impress men, David had long given up on trying to impress people. He decided that he would seek God no matter what. He was invisible to the world around him, but David was found as a worshipper seeking His face.
God Will Visit a Region Because of One Person
David was the one person that God sent Samuel to town for, and he was the last person the town thought to invite to the sacrifice.
Sometimes we are tempted to ask ourselves, "What does it matter if I pursue this dream of God? What difference does it make for me burn in worship at 2AM in the morning by myself? The answer is that God sees, He knows, and His eyes are looking for you and longing for you.
Everyone was at the sacrifice, but no one was worshipping. David, though not initially invited to the sacrifice, was the only one actually worshipping in Bethlehem! God will always "find" worshippers in the earth.
Finally, they brought David to the sacrifice. Everyone was dressed to impress. David looked like he'd been camping in the wilderness, because that's where he was. But as he walked in, the Lord said to Samuel, "Arise, anoint Him, for this is he".
The hidden life of worship that David lived attracted the anointing of God, and eventually transformed a nation and influenced an entire generation. But this moment, when Samuel anointed him, wasn't David's big break. This day was the fruit of something that was already happening. It didn't begin with man's recognition. This new beginning started very small.
Be encouraged in this season of new beginnings. The Tabernacle is being raised again in all the earth (Amos 9:11). It may be obscure to men, but this new move is born of God and has all of heaven's attention!
