The Strength of my Heart
Daniel 2:21 "He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning." Romans 13:1 "Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God." Clearly it is God who appoints, God who anoints and God who establishes. Remember when Jesus was brought before Pontius Pilate to be tried for confessing that He was the King of the Jews? When Pilot questioned Jesus on who Jesus professed to be, "Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above." John 19:11. How condescending and contemptuous of Pilot to assume that he was the one in authority over Jesus? Jesus the picture of humility and subservience!

Samuel 16 takes us to a time when the Prophet Samuel was in mourning for Saul. The people had demanded a King and they chose Saul. Samuel had hoped that by the peoples' choice and Gods appointment that Saul would be a good King, but disobedience, greed and pride contributed to his downfall and God rejected him. All of the prophets hopes and expectations for Saul had faded. "How long will you mourn for Saul seeing that I have rejected him from reigning over Israel?" "Fill your horn with oil and go!" I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a King among his sons", said the Lord. "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD." Isaiah 11:1. Here was a prophecy foretold hundreds of years earlier, come to pass. How incredibly God provides, how He orders, how He brings into being the things which He pre-ordains and predestines before the foundations of the earth were formed?

What are you 'mourning' over in your life, what disappointment and discontent do you face? It's refreshing and strengthening to know that God will provide a solution, a way out, a change, a break from tradition, whatever it takes to cause a turn around. He ordered Samuel to go to the house of Jesse and anoint one of his sons as the future King of Israel. God will always direct and instruct and we are expected to act. Samuel questioned God, "How can I go, if Saul hears about it he will kill me" The Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to theLord.' Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." Samuel did what the Lord said. We can assume that Samuel had no true revelation of what his act of obedience quantified into from thereon in. When God bids us to go, whether it is to fill a need, pray over the sick, bring a word of encouragement, whatever it may be, when we do as He says, we will have sown seeds of eternal value into the lives and hearts of those ministered to. Obedience to whatever God commands, obedience to Kingdom instruction has unending, perpetual reward and reproduction that none of us could ever quantify or compute!

Samuel consecrated Jesse and his sons. When Samuel saw Eliab, he thought surely he was the one as presumably Eliab looked the part, but the Lord told Samuel not to look at his appearance or his height. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart! "Are these all the sons you have?" Samuel enquired of Jesse. "There is still the youngest, he is tending sheep" David came forth and immediately Samuel confirmed him as the one and anointed David. From that day on the Spirit of the Lord rested powerfully on David. David would not become King for another twenty four years. He was set apart but still had to undergo 'Kingdom training'. You may be 'tending sheep' and feel unnoticed or disregarded. Not on Gods watch. He looks beyond the façade and pretentious empty judgments of man and looks at the heart! In due time, in due season you will be the one to rise under the unction and sanction of Gods command. You see the time in the fields sharpened David's skills as shepherd, as musician and worshipper. His confrontation with Goliath and the many battles he fought helped shape and mould him into the multi-faceted well-rounded warrior, worshipping King God ordained Him to be. In the words of Psalmist David, "My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever!" Psalm 73:26