God's Treasure Hunt

 King Saul of Israel had failed miserably. God commissioned Samuel, the prophet and high priest, to find a new king. God sent Samuel on a treasure hunt. He was to find the young man chosen by God and anoint him as the next king.

Where was Samuel sent? Not to Jerusalem and not to a noble family. God sent Samuel to a farm. The farmer had strong and handsome sons.

Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 1 Samuel 16:10 NIV84

The farmer had another son, but he was only a boy.

Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” 

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.” 1 Samuel 16:11–12 NLT

Samuel was directly led by the Holy Spirit.

Today many of us are so wise in our own eyes. We are taught that we have the whole Bible and theological training. We think we no longer need the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Or else we do what we think is right and assume we are led by the Spirit.

Some Christians are too easily led by emotional impressions, but it is dangerous to rely on our own human understanding of the Bible without the help of the One who inspired it.

And what are the results of this educated Christianity? In many formerly Christian countries, Christians are merely tolerated. The power and glory of God are not found in most churches.

Many churches have excluded the Holy Spirit, just like King Saul, but God is looking for outsiders and children like David who will continue His work with the love and power of the Holy Spirit.

 Agostino d' Antonio, a sculptor of Florence, Italy, wrought diligently but unsuccessfully on a large piece of marble. "I can do nothing with it," he finally said. Other sculptors, too, worked with the piece of marble, but they, too, gave up the task. The stone was discarded. It lay on a rubbish heap for forty years.

Out strolling one day, Michelangelo saw the stone and the latent possibilities in it. It was brought to his studio. He began to work on it. Ultimately, his vision and work were crowned with success. From that seemingly worthless stone was carved one of the world's masterpieces of sculpture—"David!" (cf: 1 Samuel 16:13)

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF 15,000 ILLUSTRATIONS SIGNS OF THE TIMES By Dr. Paul Lee Tan  

 You may be rejected by the world and even other Christians as a worthless stone. God still has good plans for your life.

God Lifts up Downtrodden People

 God promotes the lowly. He lifts up the humble.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. Lk 1:52–53 NRSV

Over the last 250 years, we have seen how kings and ruling classes have fallen. Democracy has become normal in many nations.

Since the Reformation, we have also seen dramatic changes in the leadership of Christians and churches.

God has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
Leaders and rulers can become arrogant and tyrannise their subjects.

Jesus had a lot to say about this.

But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.
It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, Mt 20:25–26 NRSV

In the Bible, we see how God chose shepherds and fishermen. Moses and King David were shepherds when God chose them to rule God's people. Peter, Andrew, James and John were fishermen before they became apostles.

The first king of Israel was Saul. He was the son of a farmer, not a sophisticated man. But when he was king, he became arrogant and stubborn. Then God took the throne from his family and chose the shepherd David as the next king.

Are you seemingly a nobody? In God's eyes, you are infinitely valued. God loves each of his children like a bride loves her diamonds.

Are you strictly controlled by your family, your boss or your church leaders, cruelly dominated, always put down? This does not come from God.

Do you keep thinking negative words that have been said to you for years like witches' curses? Are you perhaps convinced that you are a helpless failure, as others have said of you?

God is your Creator and your heavenly Father. He has planned your life for fulfilment. It's not too late for you.

Jesus still loves you. God wants to speak to you today as he spoke to his suffering Jewish people in ancient times.

‘Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ Jer 33:3 NASB95

Jesus is waiting for your cry for help. He sacrificed His life for you on the cross and He still loves you as He did at the beginning.

DARE TO BE YOURSELF FOR GOD

David was a shepherd boy when Saul was the King of Israel. 

David loved God with all his heart but Saul was insecure about himself and about his faith in God.

• The Israelites wanted to have a king like the other nations. When they demanded a king, God was not happy but God gave them what they wanted. 

• The Israelites demanded a king because they were unsure of their faith in God and insecure about their God given identity.

• We often put preachers on a pedestal for the same reason.

• When God gave them Saul to be their king, Saul was anointed and his leadership was blessed in the beginning but in the end he too was insecure about his identity and so he became a tyrant.

• The same thing can happen when you put a preacher on a pedestal instead of putting your full trust in God and daring to become who God designed you to be.

Be careful what you desire and believe for. 

God might answer your urgent prayers but the thing you pray for might not be a blessing in the end. 

• Consider your motives. It can be dangerous to want to be like other people and to have what other people have.

God wants to give you His best but He does not want you to be like other people.

• He wants you to be YOU because He designed you to be you, just as He made David to be David.

When David decided to do battle with Goliath, King Saul offered to give David his own armour but it did not fit. David went to fight Goliath without armour, armed only with a sling and a few stones.

If God has called you to preach the gospel, don’t start competing with other people for the pulpit of your church. 

If God has called you, God will give you a pulpit. Jesus often preached in private homes, on hillsides or in fishing boats. 

Be like Jesus. Don’t play politics with church leaders to become one of them. 

• Go where God leads you and say what God gives you to say.
• When we read the Gospels, we see a lot of the teaching of Jesus was in the context of personal interaction with people along the way. 
• If we anxiously strive for promotion in church, we may miss a lot of these opportunities.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 (NLT) 

• The world is tired of preachers who copy other preachers. 

• The world is tired of Christians who play church to get promotion to a pulpit.

Be different. Be yourself. You are unique.

(Jesus) said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Mark 16:15 (NIV)

How can you go into all the world for Jesus if you are busy in church trying to be promoted in ministry? 

What if you are not gifted to be a preacher?

You might be a good musician. 

God might want to use you to play at the front on Sundays, or He might want you to play somewhere else instead. 

There are so many elderly people in institutions who need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

They might not want to listen to Billy Graham but they will listen to beautiful Christian songs. 

There are so many older people just waiting to die without any hope. A few songs and a few words from you can restore the faith to many who have lost hope.

What if you are a gardener or a handyman. (I am not.) 

Deeds often speak louder than words. Simple kindness and practical help bring many to faith.

Has God given you a nice house or apartment? Do you like entertaining guests? 

You could invite a few Christian friends and not yet Christians to meet each other. Pray that God will reveal Jesus through your hospitality and your Christian friends.

Do you like cooking? 

My wife met a lonely older woman on a bus. The woman lived alone and was troubled by poor health. My wife made a pot of soup and took it to this lady’s home.