Forever Welcomed: A Five-Day Journey Into God’s Heart for Allনমুনা

GOD’S LOVE FLIPS THE SCRIPT

In 1 Samuel 8, the Israelites make a bold and tragic demand: They want a king. They look around at the neighboring nations, seeing their influential kings and their royal power, and the Israelites crave that visible stability. Their request is not just for a ruler, though. It is a rejection of the reality that God Himself is their King, their Protector, their sovereign Defender. They want someone they can physically see, someone they can touch, someone who can lead them into physical battle, someone who will be like the kings of other nations.

When their first-chosen king falters, God sends the prophet Samuel to find another—one after his own heart. But God’s criteria for choosing a king would be drastically different from the people’s. Here's how: In this culture, the youngest son was often regarded as the servant and considered inferior to the older sons, both within the family and in society. Inheritance and land were typically given to the firstborn in double portions, leaving younger siblings with little inheritance.

Samuel, fully aware of the cultural norms, knew that choosing David and anointing him to be king would be . . . well, absurd. But that’s exactly what God does. In 1 Samuel 16:7, He tells Samuel, “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. Once again, God flips the script. God’s kingdom is not based on influence, hierarchy, or external appearances; it’s about the heart. In the story of David’s anointing, we see God’s surprising and sovereign choice to elevate the least likely candidate among the brothers. God sees what others overlook.

God's impartial love values the heart, not social standing. He calls us to do the same, whether we are looking at ourselves or others.

In what ways do you sometimes focus on outward appearance or worldly qualifications instead of seeking and trusting God’s choice? What would it look like to surrender that bias and love impartially, as God does?