“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT)

David was a complex person. He was a warrior and a worshipper. He was a lover and a fighter. He was an unknown shepherd living in obscurity in the tiny little village of Bethlehem, who was handpicked by God not just to be the greatest king in the history of Israel, but to be a part of the most exclusive genealogy in human history, the genealogy of Jesus Christ.

But there’s one thing David was not, and that’s an obvious choice. He wasn’t the first king of Israel. That honor fell to Saul, a tall, physically impressive man who looked the part. Unfortunately, that’s all he did. It turned out that his heart wasn’t nearly as impressive as his physical stature.

The Lord rejected Saul and instructed the prophet Samuel to go to Bethlehem, to the house of Jesse, to find the next king of Israel. Samuel’s arrival was a pretty big deal. Prophets of God didn’t show up in little places like Bethlehem every day. And when Jesse was given the opportunity, he took advantage of it. He proudly paraded his seven strapping sons for the prophet.

These guys were the original Magnificent Seven. They were top-notch physical specimens. The stuff of royalty, you might say. But as the prophet looked at each one, the Lord said no, no, no, no, no, no, and no. “Do you have any other sons?” Samuel asked.

Jesse replied, “Yeah, I’ve got one more son. He’s out in the field watching his flock of sheep. He’s a little weird. He’s a musician, and he writes songs about God.”

“Bring him in,” Samuel said.

David came bounding in with enthusiasm and energy. The Lord said to Samuel, “That’s my boy. Anoint him.” So Samuel poured oil on David’s head, officially anointing him to become the king of Israel.

God defied everyone’s expectations when He chose David. He didn’t look like a king—and that was the point. God wanted people to be drawn to David’s heart, because David was a man after God’s own heart (see Acts 13:22 NLT). You can’t judge people’s wisdom, integrity, sensitivity, humility, courage, passion, or leadership potential by their appearance.

That point was driven home centuries later when God’s promise to David was fulfilled, and the long-awaited Messiah—Jesus, the descendant of David—arrived. To casual observers, He was an unlikely Savior. He didn’t live up to people’s expectations about what the Messiah would be like. Isaiah 53:2 says, “My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot, like a root in dry ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him” (NLT). If you want to see how God works, you have to look past the surface—of others and yourself.

If you have faith in God, if you believe that God can use you, if you are willing to take a step of faith here and there, then God can do incredible things through you. One thing I have said many times over the years is that God is not looking for ability but availability. He can give you ability in time. But God is looking for someone to say, “I would like to make a difference where I am. Lord, I am available.” You just watch what God will do.

Reflection question: Why does God often use unlikely people to accomplish His work?

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