I Sam. 16:6-7 - When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is before Him." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
As soon as Samuel sees Eliab he thinks surely this is the one God will have me anoint as the next king, but God said, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him;…" Samuel had made a judgment because of his good looks and his height, but the Lord said he is not the one I want you to anoint because I have rejected him. Samuel made the same mistake we all have made at one time and that is he judged Eliab by his appearance.
I have known a lot of coaches in my 60 + years and every great coach wants to know what their athlete's heart is like. When it gets tough will they break or will they dig down deep and go to another level. Going to the next level doesn’t have anything to do with how you look or how tall you are. It has to do with your heart. My all-time favorite saying goes like this: You don't always have to be in the lead if you have the HEART to come from behind.
Remember the Lord knows your heart and He would not be calling you if He didn't think you were the right person for the job. Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah, and all of Jesse's sons passed by Samuel and the Lord rejected all of them. Samuel says to Jesse do you have any other children? Jesse says, "There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep." In other words, Jesse doesn't have very high hopes for David. He is not like his brothers. He is not only tending sheep and the youngest; he is fair skinned with red hair. In this area, people have dark hair, eyes and complexion. One thing the Lord knows about David is he has heart. You judge for yourself about David's heart. Here is the conversation David had with King Saul before he fights Goliath: "Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." And David said, "The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (I Sam.17) David's older brothers were there when Goliath threw out the challenge but they didn't accept the challenge. David not only will accept the challenge he will kill Goliath with a stone and then cut off his head with his own sword. Why? The reason is very clear to see David had heart exactly what God was able to see. God is calling you to do something and it is because you have heart. All you have to do is go and God will go with you. Think About This: When God measures a man, He puts the tape around his heart instead of his head. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word
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I Kings 19:10 - He said, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars and killed Your prophets with the sword. And I alone am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”
I have seen people start college with a full head of steam only to drop out and never graduate. People will start down what would appear to be a great career and in a few years, they are no longer producing like they did when they started with the company. Look at all the marriages that begin filled with love and passion and then end up in a divorce court. I know athletes who were passionate about their sport and they get an injury and quit rather than spending the necessary time to recuperate, refocus and re-enter the competition.
Howard Thurman said, "Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Look at what Elijah did. He fell into the trap of looking at what other people were doing. Elijah accuses the Israelites of forsaking God's covenant, tearing down His altars and killing His prophets.
God had sent down fire and consumed the altar and the offering that was on it in answer to Elijah's prayer. All the people started confessing that Elijah's God was LORD and they killed all of the false prophets of Baal. Elijah needed to remember the victory that he had over the false prophets. Somehow Elijah had forgotten this great victory. He forgot what God was doing with him. All he could see is what is negative and wrong with the world around him. He is unable to see that God is in control. When you and I fail to see what God is doing with us and that He is in control. Then it becomes easy to lose your passion. Remember your victories and your passion will return.
If your passion needs restoring today. Open up your eyes and see what God has done with you and what He wants to do with you right now. E. M. Forster said, "One person with passion is better than forty people merely interested." You are that one person with passion. You are better than forty people merely interested. Now turn your passion loose on the world with God's guidance and Watch For Future Victories. Think on This: "Purpose may point you in the right direction but it’s passion that propels you.” - T. McAshan Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Daniel 3:16-18 - Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter. "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. "But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." NASU
In our text today Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego would not bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar's made up gods nor would they bow to the golden image. So they are going to be cast into the fiery furnace because of their disobedience to man but obedience to God. In life you may be following God's commands and then be punished because of it. This is what was happening to S, M, A. Their faith didn't waiver. They knew God could deliver them but if He didn't no big deal. He was still God and they were still faithful obedient servants of God. If they died physically they would graduate into the next life.
God may not always remove us from our trials but you can be sure He is right there with us the entire way. Daniel 3:23-25 - But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire still tied up. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astounded and stood up in haste; he said to his high officials, "Was it not three men we cast bound into the midst of the fire?" They replied to the king, "Certainly, O king." He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!" God knows all about our lives because He loves us. He will never leave us nor forsake us. Just because we might suffer for doing good doesn't mean God has abandoned us. That my friends you can take to the bank. Think On These: God Calls for us to stand, though not always to understand. God doesn't call us to be successful. He calls us to be faithful. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word Gen. 32:24-28 - So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."
But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me." The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome." NIV There are so many characteristics that can be identified with Jacob the wrestler. I will share with you a few in today's Pump Up. You may want to read this passage of scripture over numerous times and identify more characteristics and then teach them to others.
There won't be any of your teammates coming to your rescue, nor would you want them to interfere. This is between you and your opponent. Jacob wrestled through the night until daybreak, alone.
Who is this man that Jacob is wrestling? I have my thoughts about Him and will allow you to have yours, but I can tell you this much He was powerful enough to dislocate Jacob's hip with a touch. In the 1972 Olympics, Dan Gable, was head butted. His trainer wrapped his head to temporarily stop the bleeding. He continues to wrestle, wins the match and then received seven stitches to close the gash. In the 1999 Freestyle Wrestling Championships, Cary Kolat, dislocated his shoulder during one of his early matches. He continued to wrestle and won the match. There are hundreds of wrestling stories like these. When you get hurt you keep on going.
Jacob was wrestling with God. Notice what the verse says, Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God…" He was struggling or wrestling with God.
The apostle Paul informs Christians that we likewise are wrestlers and he even names our enemies that we will be wrestling against in this life. These are vital lessons we can learn from wrestlers: Some times we may have to go it alone. Some times we may have to keep going even when hurt. Some times we may have to wrestle with God or His enemies. One passage of scripture we never want to forget is 1 Corinthians 15:57-58 - "…but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord." NASU Think On These: When God measures a man, He puts the tape around his heart not his head. Who is more foolish: a child who is afraid of the dark or a man who is afraid of the light? Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word 1 Sam. 1:6-7 - "Her rival, however, would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb. It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat." NASU
It was the Lord who had closed Hannah's womb. She is in this situation because this is where the Lord wants her. I am not saying God wanted Peninnah to provoke her most likely by mocking her, but the fact remains she is childless because of God. You will notice in the Old Testament when God was at work delaying a pregnancy or being involved in some way the child born was always a special child. Isaac birth comes when Sarah is 90 years old, John the Baptist birth was when his mother and father were both old and here we are seeing the early days before the birth of Samuel who will become a famous Judge over all Israel. God had Hannah there for a reason. The mistreatment she endured led her to make a vow to God if He would give her a son she would dedicate him to the Lord. Samuel was going to be dedicated as a child and would become a part of the Nazarite vow. Would she have made this vow about Samuel had she not been provoked? Samuel was special as can be seen by the life he lived.
I would like for you to pray, "Lord, I don't like my present situation, but what I really want is to do Your will. Show me how You are going to use me in this situation to bring Glory to Your Name."
Think On These: The Lord calls for us to stand, but not always understand. When God allows a burden to be put upon you, He will put His arms underneath you to help you carry it. Stay Pumped, Gary A. Serago Minister of God's Word |
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