July 8, 2010
Sometimes I Feel So Overlooked
"After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart, he will do everything I want him to do.'" Acts 13:22 (NIV)
Devotion:
I'm sorry. I try not to complain very often. I do know that I am incredibly blessed to have a grocery store down the street and a washer and dryer to use when doing laundry. But sometimes I wake up on Monday mornings a little grumpy. Time to do it all again. I'll go buy food that gets eaten. I'll wash clothes that get dirty again. I'll sweep floors that just an hour later will be littered with crumbs.
Is there more to all this than just doing the tasks of everyday life?
Before I jumped into the normal routine this morning, I sat with Jesus. And this is what I found... some big truths by taking a little glance at David's life. Despite how other's saw him, his own propensity to sin, and his lack of position in his own family, David had the sweet reassurance of God and that was enough.
Overlooked by everyone else. Handpicked by God.
To his older brothers, he was a pest. To his father Jesse, he was just the youngest son. To on-lookers, he was just a shepherd boy. But to God, he was the one destined to be king. And not just any king. His lineage was the one from whom Jesus would come.
Overlooked by everyone else. Handpicked by God.
Even how he was anointed to be the future king is such a telling story. In 1 Samuel 16, God tells Samuel that He has rejected Saul as king and chosen one of Jesse's sons to be the replacement. Think of the list of qualifications that must have run through Samuel's head as he pondered which of Jesse's sons would be qualified for such a position: tall, smart, articulate, brave, groomed, well mannered, regal, a natural born leader. "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his outward appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. (meaning Saul who had these qualities.) The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart" (vs 7).
Overlooked by everyone else. Handpicked by God.
Next Samuel has Jesse line all of his sons up before him. All of them were to be looked at. Yet Jesse doesn't call David in from tending sheep. Was this an oversight? An assumption? A judgment call? A necessity? A deliberate choice?
Overlooked by everyone else. Handpicked by God.
Samuel passes on each of Jesse's sons and then asks, "Are these all the sons you have?"
I imagine Jesse with a quizzical expression replying, "There is still the youngest but he is tending sheep." Surely one who spends his time taking care of animals is not the one to take care of a nation.
Overlooked by everyone else. Handpicked by God.
As soon as Samuel saw him, he knew he was the one. David was anointed to become king. But he was not immediately ushered to the throne. It was years before David would be recognized by the world. So, where did he go after being anointed as king? To a refining school? A government academy? Military training? Nope.
He went back out into the fields and continued to shepherd his flock. A king doing lowly tasks. A king whose character was being refined in the fields of everyday life to prepare him for his calling.
How like us. In the midst of smelly laundry, dirty dishes, snotty noses, misplaced keys, overdue library books, bills, and that birthday gift that still needs to be mailed to grandma - there is training there. There is character building. There is attitude shaping. There is soul defining. There is heart grounding. All which must take place for us to become what God intends.
Ever feel overlooked by the world? Take heart sister - we are handpicked by God.
I am not just doing tasks. I am building a legacy. I am shaping God's kingdom. I am in the process of not only discovering my calling but that of my family as well. And I don't know about you, but it sure does make me look at my everyday tasks, even the smelly laundry in a whole different light.
Dear Lord, thank You that even when I feel overlooked, I can rest in the fact that I am handpicked by You. Help me to live my life for an audience of One. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Visit Lysa's new interactive website full of free resources and encouraging videos. You can get to www.LysaTerKeurst.com by clicking here.
Today's devotion is taken in part from Lysa's book and Bible Study, "Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl." This is the perfect 6 week summer study or one to consider doing with your women's group this fall. To order your book, click here, to order your Bible study workbook and DVD study click here and here.
Am I Messing Up My Kids? by Lysa TerKeurst
Application Steps:
Write down in your journal a list of qualities that you sense God is developing in you. Next write down why you think God might find it necessary to develop you in this particular way.
Reflections:
Are there any tasks that you particularly struggle with not wanting to do? Ask God for a new perspective and spend time listening for His voice while you do this job.
Power Verses:
Psalm 28:7a, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped." (NIV)
2 Samuel 7:22, "How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears." (NIV)
© 2010 by Lysa TerKeurst. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries616-G Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
Originally published Thursday, 08 July 2010.
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