Unboxed: Built on PurposeSample

If you’ve ever made guacamole, you know how important it is to pick the right ingredients. Underripe avocados have beautiful green skin, but often, they’re chalky and gross on the inside. Ripe avocados have a black, mushy skin and aren’t very impressive to look at. But on the inside, they are ready to eat!

God didn’t lead a man named Samuel to pick an avocado. He led him to pick the next king of Israel. When he came to a family with a bunch of tall, strong brothers, Samuel was sure one of them would make a good king. They looked impressive on the outside. But no, God told Samuel to pick their unimpressive kid brother who watched the sheep. Why? Well, God cares about the physical body of a human, but most important to him is the inside of a person. God didn’t need the strongest, fastest man with all of the skills to be his next king. Instead, he chose a boy who would trust, follow, and love him – a man after God’s own heart. Those inward qualities would make him a great king one day.

Reflection Questions:

• What do you think the 1 Samuel 16 passage tells us about God’s character?
• What do you pay attention to when you meet someone new? How can you begin to see people through God’s eyes, the way Samuel saw David?