June 11, 2018
1 Samuel 16:14-23 The Message
The Lord rejected Saul as Israel’s king because he sought to please people more than God. Because of Saul’s choice to dishonor the Lord, God sent Samuel to anoint a new king from the sons of Jesse. The youngest son, David, was God’s choice as Israel’s new king. God looks at the heart to determine his leaders; David was a worshiper and a man after God’s heart. Samuel was instructed to anoint David as the new king; in the pouring of the oil the Holy Spirit came upon David in power.
The Holy Spirit then departed from Saul and left him struggling with a tormenting evil spirit. In our passage today, the Lord is starting to prepare David to be king. The Lord will allow David to witness leadership without the anointing of the Spirit. David would learn a lot during his time as a musician in Saul’s court. For our life lesson, we must never forget the work of the Spirit to bring peace and wholeness to our lives. Our dedication must be to live to please the Lord above all else.