Ohhh friends,
I’m so glad you’re joining us for our summer online Bible study: David. I’ve been praying for you ever since we first started working on the David study and I couldn’t be more excited to finally begin it with YOU!
For those of you who are new to Love God Greatly, make sure you subscribe to our blog so you won’t miss one of our Monday, Wednesday, and Friday blog posts. If you haven’t done so yet, we encourage you to purchase or download our David study journal! Our journal is a GREAT resource to help you dig deeper into God’s Word, as well as stay consistent and organized. We use a very simple, yet effective, way to dig into God’s Word. It’s called the SOAP method and you can read more about it here.
Each session we love hearing about women who have reached out to a group of friends to study with! If you don’t have a group to join, then feel free to use Facebook, Instagram, or our blog posts as your means to “check in” and share with other women what you are learning. Both on Facebook and Instagram we have a daily morning image where you are invited to share your insight and application. You never know who you might encourage as you share what you are learning!
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TODAY begins Week 1 of our David study. Let’s do this… together!
David knew a thing or two about being passed over.
From our reading today in 1 Samuel 16:1-12, we see that David’s own father must not have thought much of him because he didn’t even include David in the lineup of his sons when he presented them to the prophet Samuel. How would you feel if someone super important came to your home and your dad didn’t even invite you to join the rest of the family for the gathering?
Yes, David knew the sting of being passed over.
Passed over because he lacked the qualifications – or so his father thought – since he wasn’t the first born but rather the last.
Passed over because he didn’t quite look the part. There were others who looked much more suited for the job. Even the prophet Samuel was misled based on the appearances of all the sons and assumed God’s chosen one would look a certain way.
That day God taught Jesse and Samuel, as well as us, a very important lesson. We read it in 1 Samuel 16: 7.
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. “
Would you write this on a piece of paper and tape it to your mirror to read each morning?
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
From the world’s perspective, hanging out in the pasture tending to stinky sheep is the last place one would want to work. Ahhh… but that pasture and those sheep. They held a divine purpose. God was using the obscure, the lowest of the low, the unnoticed, and the disregarded to form and mold His future king.
David learned invaluable skills out there looking after those helpless sheep.
“… from tending the sheep he brought him to be the shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel in inheritance. And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” – Psalm 78:71-72
God had a greater and more loving purpose for David out in that pasture. He was grooming his future king – one who would know how to be a mighty warrior and a protector of small, innocent sheep from those who sought to devour them. God also developed in David a tender heart.
From our verses today I see two lessons God is lovingly teaching us:
1. We are not to seek the approval of man but rather God. Just because others in authority or even our own family don’t see us as worthy or valuable… God does. He knows our hearts, He sees what’s really important, and that’s all that matters.
2. Don’t despise humble beginnings. Many of God’s greatest testimonies come from people who came from such backgrounds.
Sweet friend, you – like me – may not always be someone’s first choice, but be encouraged today. It really doesn’t matter the value others place on us. Jesus thought we were worth dying for, and so He lovingly went to the cross in our place.
You are wanted.
You are valued.
You are loved.
Embrace the pasture God has you in right now. Learn as much as you can right where He has you. You never know how God will use the skills you are learning for amazing eternal purposes!!
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