Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice…. So, he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” 1 Samuel 16: 5, 11.
When Samuel consecrated (set apart or dedicated to service of a God) the sons of Jesse, David wasn’t among them. Invariably, from a human perspective he didn’t seem to fit the bill to appear before the Priest – Samuel. Consequently, he wasn’t “prepared” for the anointing. However, when God calls a man, it doesn’t matter what man thinks. God can and will bypass protocol to bring about His purposes and plans. The minute David arrived, God asked Samuel to anoint him. No consecration, nothing…. just pour the oil. Why? The heart of David was already consecrated before God. No wonder God had told Samuel earlier, ‘…. I the Lord look at the heart’.
This brings me to the crux of the matter. What does God mean when He says I look at the heart? Why did He say David was a man after His heart? I caught a glimpse of the answer to this in the book of Psalm. David saw God not just as God but as a shepherd, companion, confidant, friend, guide, just to name a few. He discussed with God as though He could physically see Him beside him. Read through the Psalms and you’ll realize that no topic was excluded from his conversation with God. When someone was after David, he spoke with God. When he was happy, He spoke with God. When in need or in abundance, he spoke with God. David made God a total part of his life. God had to have a say in practically everything, and when he acted outside of God’s will, he was always quick to accept responsibility and seek forgiveness. Also, he never assumed He knew what God was going to say. For every situation no matter how similar, he sought God’s direction to ensure he was on track.
So, what’s your relationship with God like. Is all you see God as is – your problem solver, your genie, your doctor, your provider etc.? What or who is God to you? Is your heart drawn to God such that you seek to spend time with Him at all times and not only when in need? When was the last time you spent time with God without asking Him for something but all you did was worship, give Him praise or really just love on Him? When was the last time you asked Him what you could ‘do for Him’ as His representative on earth? When was the last time you actually ‘gave’ to Him? It’s time to reassess your relationship with God and sincerely ask yourself the question ‘Am I a man or woman after God’s heart?’
Stay connected
Bolaji Ajayi
And the word became flesh 