God Has A Way : Understanding God's Path (1 Samuel 16)

Until now, Saul was king of Israel but from the account, it was as though God was fed up with him and wanted to appoint a new King. You know in those days God worked among men audibly and gave them very clear instructions. So, God approached Samuel, the prophet, and asked him “Sammy, so for how long will you mourn for Saul knowing that I have rejected him? Take your horn of oil God said and go to the house of Jesse the man from Bethlehem because I have chosen a king among his sons.” This was the matter God told Samuel. So, Samuel was a bit skeptical of course for obvious reasons; to be told to go and crown another king while the ruling king was still in his tenure could be a suicidal move. And this is how God acts. Very strangely. Very inhumane and very confusing. So, Sam was a bit scared and asked God, Papa how can I go and do this task you are giving me? This is a critical move, Lord”. Being the son of a soldier, I knew what this was called. A broad day Coup detat and the last time something like that happened it ended my father’s career in the army with over 60 men in his battalion being shot and killed. So, for me when I read this scripture, I kind of side with the prophet. However, God had a Way! The thing about God is that whenever he is leading a project, he has his way and plan. Look at what happened next. God told Sam, take a heifer and say that you are going to make a sacrifice to me. Then call Jesse to come to the sacrifice, when you get there, I will show you what to do! Amen! Verse 3 said “… and I will show you what thou shall do. God has a way!
When you commit your life to God know that you are dealing with someone who has a working plan and so you must always be attentive to his word and do accordingly. Samuel listened to the word of God and traveled to Bethlehem. Na when he touched down p3 the elders for the town inside recognize am wey dem start dey shake. See, those days the prophets be the real gees o. Ebi dem dey communicate with God before dem dey pass on info to the kings. So as the elders see am dem tremble small wey they ask am se Papa, everything be cool? Wey ya man tell them se cool. Yawa nodey but se he come do small sacrifice to God, plus he go sanctify Jesse and ein boys. So Nobi any gidigidi he dey come do. So now, when the sons came, he was looking through them. He saw Eliab, was impressed with his fine looks and stature, and said surely the Lord's anointed is before him. Amen!

But then again God Had A Way. Verse 7 says “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” Amen! Powerful words right there. This is God making it very plain to all that His ways are different from ours and therefore we should never be quick to conclude on a plan that he is heading. Eliab looked like a real kingship stature. You can imagine when the Bible said look not on his countenance, it means his physical appearance, which could be his beauty, muscles, skin tone, dimples, smile, could be breast, ass, lips, etc. The Bible is saying that do not look at these things. Because they are what? Deceptive! Proverbs 31 says that “Beauty is vain”. God has not hidden anything from Christians. The problem is we don’t read. He said in 1 Timothy 4:13 ”Till I come give attendance to reading.” So many people have decided on very crucial matters by considering just countenance, someone will say face value. Mercy! This was a prophet of God that had been sent from ‘Ramah to Bethlehem to anoint the next king of Israel and the countenance of a man almost deceived him. It said But the Lord Looked on the heart. Amen! I always tell my wife that God looks at our intent rather than our actions, so let's be true to each other because even if we don’t know, God knows.

Luke 5:22 But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answering said unto them, What reason ye in your hearts? Jesus Christ had just performed a serious miracle because of the Faith that some group of people exhibited. My brother, God works for those that he sees that they want the work. God doesn’t move because you look sad. God doesn’t move because you are poor. God doesn’t move because you believe. God moves when you exhibit faith in him. Let me tell you a bit of the story. A man was suffering from palsy, kind of a joint weakness disease characterized by shaking and inability to move muscles. In short more or less paralysis. And the people of this sick man were bringing him on a mat to Jesus for healing. Many people choked the place. There was no way they were going to be able to go through the main door, so they started climbing the roof of the temple Jesus was teaching in. They carried the sick man through the roof and dropped him in front of Jesus. Imagine how surprised Jesus Christ would be at that time. He looked at the sick man and the squad on top of the roof and said to the man, thy sins are forgiven and immediately he rose before them, took his mat, and went to his house. All this while, there were lawyers and professors in the temple and they began to find faults with what Jesus had done. Jesus looked at them knowing their thoughts and heart asked “What reason ye in your hearts? Jesus knew their hearts. That’s why God's judgment is so different from man's judgment.

Back to Samuel, so Jesse lined up his sons, Abinadab, Shammah and all the others about 7 of them but Samuel said it wasn’t any of them. Then Samuel asked Jesse, are these all your children? And Jesse said no it is left with the last born. But he has taken the flock to graze. And then Samuel said to Jesse to send someone to go and call him. Amen! When it is God's Way you will be called even after all your superiors have been auditioned. When it is God's Way, you will be called last but you will be the first to be chosen. When the boy came, he looked very handsome with beautiful eyes and the Lord said to Samuel Arise, anoint him; for this is Him. Samuel lifted the horn of oil and anointed David and the spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day. Immediately Samuel left Bethlehem and returned to Ramah. JOB DONE! Now here is where I show you that God has a Way. David has been anointed king and Saul is unaware that there's been a spiritual coup detat. The Spirit of God left Paul and an evil from the Lord troubled him. This evil spirit that attacked Saul would only leave when music was played with a harp for him. So Saul commanded that they quickly find him someone who was skillful in playing the harp because he suffered from the evil spirit. Now look at what happens here. The Bible says one of his servants recommended David, he said I have seen the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person and the Lord is with him. One thing that you'd always need is a recommendation. Bear in mind that someone is always watching you from afar therefore whatsoever you do be mindful. If David had shown a certain attitude towards the servant in the past I doubt he would have recommended him to such an important person. Again, you see how God shows us His ways are different. This is David, the little shepherd boy that had just been anointed King without Sauls knowledge and mysteriously this same boy whom under normal circumstances must be killed by the King is now going in as a savior to him. So, Jesse sent David to Saul with some items and the Bible says when Saul saw David, he loved him and made him his armorbearer. Amen! If this is not a miracle, then I don’t know what is. Saul sent one of his servants to Jesse to tell him to let David stand before him because he had found favor in his sight. The boy that has been anointed king and under normal circumstances must be killed by the reigning king has out of nothing become the king's darling boy. GOD HAS A WAY INDEED. In verse 23, the Bible says “And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” In conclusion, I’d like to urge fellow Christians to trust in God as His word in 1 Thessalonians 5:24 affirms; Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.