Where Did You Find God Today?

As I read the story of Samuel’s anointing of David, God whispered something into my soul. “I led Samuel to choose what I chose.”

In 1st Samuel 16, the prophet knows he is to anoint the king who will replace Saul. God tells him to head for Jesse’s land and that He will show him to anoint. Samuel arrives and discovers Jesse’s eldest son. Ah, ha. Surely…but God says, “No. You see the outwards appearance but I see into a person’s heart.” On down the line, Jesse eyes each of the sons only to keep hearing the same answer.

Believing God called him to anoint someone on Jesse’s land, he asks the question. Who else is around? Lo and behold, the youngest who was away tending the sheep is the one God has chosen.

Samuel could have saved a lot of time by asking God right off the bat to show him the one God wanted. But he didn’t. So he went through the process of elimination. God, in His infinite patience sat back and played along.At least Samuel kept asking in faith instead of being a bit disappointed when He said, “Nope, not that either.”

It makes me wonder how many times I hear God say no, but instead of having the tenacious faith to keep asking, I hang my head and walk away. Perhaps,like Samuel, God is eliminating the plans He knows I have so I can then, out of options, focus on His better one.

It’s like going to the Christmas White Elephant party and being the last to choose a prize. Do you go for the obvious choices, already revealed, or hold out for the one left over? It may be the best of them all, and the one you hoped to get–except you just didn’t know it.

Yet, how much better is it to ask God, “Which one?” before you act at all?

The next time you hear God say “no”, will you be bold enough to ask Him to show you the “yes” ? Or, like Samuel, will you waste time pointing to what you think God wants.