As we read the story of how Samuel identified David as the future king of Israel, there are key lessons to be learnt. Through these, God teaches us what qualities He looks for in each of us.

Eliab definitely looked the part of a king (1 Saumuel 16 vs 6 – 7). Even Samuel was impressed and convinced by what he saw. His first and immediate impression was that Eliab was definitely the man God had appointed.  But then God  rebukes Samuel and reminds him that while man judges by appearance, the Lord looks at the heart. How easy it is for our eyes to deceive us. We should not believe everything we see.

By turn, the Lord confirmed Israel’s future king was not amongst the seven sons Jesse had assembled for the meeting. It would be easy to imagine that someone like Abinadab was a great warrior, Shimea was probably  very smart and another could have been a great organiser. Yet none of them lined up to God’s expectation of a king.

It is significant that God’s chosen one, David , was not worthy of consideration by his own family. In his father’s and brothers’ eyes, he did not fulfil their expectations of a king. Being the youngest, David’s brothers probably looked down on him. Hence he had to do the most menial, smelly and undesirable of  tasks – taking care of the flock .

In essence, what God looks for in a leader is someone who will serve Him and serve others. It is essential that he/she has the heart of a servant.

As we serve, we should also identify the difference between what God has called us to be and what our functions are. Even as David was anointed as Israel’s future king, he still had to go back to being a shepherd and subsequently, a musician to Saul.  He never stopped serving even in the most  undesirable of circumstances. In fact, he served with gladness [read Psalm 100] and gave his all. God is pleased as we learn to serve, as we recognise it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Jesus demonstrated what servanthood  is at the last supper [John 13 vs 1-17]. He went down on bended knees to wash the feet of the disciples. This is the model of servanthood in God’s kingdom.

In our moving from Project to Purpose, God is calling us to serve. Just as He called a goatherder named David who stepped out in faith to serve,  who eventually ascended to being the greatest king Israel has ever had – that very same calling still resounds today.

Questions

While man judges by outward appearance, the Lord looks at the heart [1 Sam 16 vs 7]  - share how this impacts on the way we serve.

How specifically has this affected your view when serving with others?

What are the key factors that stop you from serving God and others?

 Similar to how we are moving into a new phase [from project to purpose to destiny], Jesus prepared His disciples for revival after His crucifixion and ascension. He uses the scene above to represent what true sacrifice is all about. The widow is clearly ‘continuously sacrificing words of praise, and not forgetting to do good and to share. God’s pleased when this is done [ Hebrew 13 vs 15 & 16 ].

Any sacrifice we make must be done with integrity. This is clearly lacking in the church today. Many want to take it easy, having a laid back and callous attitude in their journey through life. They simply come and go and give as they please. Forgotten is how God sacrificed His one and only Son for us [ John 3:16]. Jesus singled out the widow for how radical her offering was because it was based totally on faith. She was not manipulated or made to feel guilty to give – she did it purely through  the faith she had in God.

It is significant that immediately after Jesus had pointed out the above, one of the disciples points out the magnificence of the temple buildings [ Mark 13 vs 1]. The key question here is ‘why’?

The above is a profound reminder that what draws people to the church is not buildings or church programmes. What really draws them is how we have a heart for people – a heart that’s radically touched by Jesus who sacrificed Himself on the cross for all mankind.

It is ultimately only through pure, genuine sacrifice that revival will come about.

Questions

1] It is significant that immediately after Jesus has taught how we are to give through the widow’s offering  , one of the disciples points out the magnificence of the temple buildings [ Mk 13 vs 1]. The key question here is ‘why? Discuss with the group

2] How much of a sacrifice are you willing to make for Jesus Christ ? Are there areas in your life that you are holding on to? Discuss and share with the group

 As each and every one of us moves from project to purpose, we all have to change our mind set.  As David and his men moved from the cave of Adullam to Ziklag , it represented the prophetic journey – from the pit of despair to great significance.

Adullam represents a safe haven – a place to escape to and take refuge . David and his men, fugitives on the run from Saul. were indeed very grateful to be in there.  At this stage in their journey, they learnt all about God’s ‘unforced rhythms of grace’. [read Matt 11 vs 28-30].

It was only after they learnt this that they moved out of the cave. While it would have been tempting for them to remain in there, they realised they had to move out in faith.

We simply cannot force ourselves into moving forward – we do so only by the grace of the Lord.  Saul, who ascended to the throne primarily through celebrity status, was destined to fall because the grace of the Lord was not on him.

Grace must precede faith . Faith preceding grace is self will.  [Read Ephesians 2 vs 8] .

Grace is first and foremost about acknowledging we need God.  Our first act of faith is to depend on the Lord and not do.

We need to hear from God and this entails us waiting upon Him.  The truth is that there areno shortcut to success.  David’s success came through a grace based life.

As we, individually and corporately, move from project to purpose, the following must be the order of things:-

Grace > Faith > Good Works > Exploits

The key thing is not to remain where we are . If we do this – we will end up being a slave to the cave.

Don’t be a slave to the cave.  Move forward in grace with faith doing good works and exploits in God. 

Let’s look three Biblical relationships.  The first one is Lot – Abraham’s nephew.  Righteous Lot had a great beginning, thanks in no small part to his close relationship with Uncle Abraham. But he came to a pitiful end and left a sorry legacy due to his own unrighteous decisions in relationships; you can read the story in Genesis 19.  How different his life might have been if he had not left Uncle Abraham! 

The second divine relationship is that of Elisha and Elijah.  2 Kings 2:1-2 tells us that even though Elijah insisted on going to Bethel alone Elisha’s greater insistence prevailed. “…I will not leave you,” said Elisha.  And we know that Elisha received a double portion of Elijah’s anointing.  

The third relationship is between the Apostle Paul and Timothy.  It was a relationship of a spiritual father and spiritual son.  The church today has no lack of spiritual instructors.  But we are in great need of spiritual fathers and mothers. In 1 Corinthians 4:15-17 Paul writes to the church at Corinth, ‘for though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me. For this reason I have sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.’

There are 3 types of relationships; above, alongside and below.  Above is father and mother – those we honour!  Alongside is brothers and sisters – we are on the same frequency, we understand each other!  And below is sons and daughters – your words carry weight with them, and you have a protective instinct towards them!

Know the key relationships that God has placed you in and protect them at all costs.  

Genesis 32 opens upon Jacob the day before he is to meet up with his brother Esau after decades of hostile estrangement.   30 years earlier Jacob had had to run for his very life after an enraged Esau learned that Jacob had deceived their father Isaac into giving him the firstborn birthright that rightfully belonged to Esau. 

There is nothing like strained relationships to bring us to our knees before God.  Prayer softens our hearts and dissolves resistance.  In Psalm 50:15 God says, “call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”   No matter what happens you can trust God to be faithful to His loving character and his loving word.

Genesis 32:24. Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day.  Most of our victories are achieved by being alone with God.  God meets us at whatever level He finds us in order to lift us to where He wants us to be.  Jacob had spent most of his life wrestling and scheming; with Isaac, Esau, Laban and others.  God wanted to show Jacob the futilily of his own self-will.  God wanted to bring Jacob to the end of himself. 

Sometimes our struggles are intended by God to bring us to the end of ourselves.  You may be in a situation which unless God comes through for you you feel that you won’t make it.   It may be that God is wrestling with you to bring you to the end of your own abilities and great ideas.  God is on your side – you cannot be overcome!  Romans 8:37.  Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. (NLT)

Jacob would not let go of God until God blessed him (Genesis 32:26) and God blessed Jacob right there and then. (Genesis 32:29). 

Spiritual victories can only be attained through spiritual means.  The secret to power with God is in surrendering to God.  It is a paradox that He will make us weak to make us strong.  2 Corinthians 12:9. God said to the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (NKJV) 

Don’t let go of God wrestling with you until He blesses you; don’t let go until you see your breakthrough; until you gain your victory.

Paul goes on to say ‘… I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.  Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.’ [Philippians 3:12-15.  NLT]

Paul had received a glimpse of the Glory of Heaven, and had resolved that his whole life, by God’s grace, would be centred around a determination to PRESS ON!  Such determination is necessary for all of us!

Throughout our lives all kinds of distractions and temptations such as life’s worries, and craving the world’s riches, threaten to choke off our commitment to the Lord.  A key to unlocking the choke chain is found in Philippians 3:1.  Whatever happens, rejoice in the Lord. 

We are now in a transition stage – shifting from project to purpose.  But in our shifting let us not get caught in ‘project mode’ and forget the purpose.  Our purpose is to bring in the harvest!  In kiwi vernacular, we’ve got change gear, hit the road and go!

Let us all be of the same mind to press on to our purpose and destiny in God.

Isaiah 42:9.  Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

What is the new thing? It is something that we will have seen before but it will be fresh – it will be revived!  God’s new thing is different.  In these last days we need to be prepared for the new thing that God is doing.  Get ready for old things that will become new.

 The number 12 speaks of divine order, of new administration.  Acts 4:31 says, ‘And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.‘  The shakings that the assembled experienced were shakings unto life; shakings of construction not destruction.  The disciples who were gathered together in that upper room were filled and thrilled… and ready to be spilled… to spread the good news of the Kingdom of Heaven.

The church is not a bunch of individuals.  The church is a container, a vessel.  2 Corinthians 4:7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

It is time for the church to step away from ‘the old garments’, from the old plans – and the time to do it is NOW!   

The old plans have been shaken to bits and pieces. The old garments have been shaken off.   There is no point in staying amidst the debris, no purpose in standing around the old stuff. 

At the top of 2012 determine in your heart to take a step of faith – move away from the old things and walk into the new.

 The scriptures above puzzled a group of women.  They discussed it at length and decided that gaining an understanding of the process of refining silver would help them better  understand the character and nature of God. One of them visited a silversmith and watched him refine silver.

As she watched, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire, where the flames were hottest, so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot.  Then she thought again about the verse that says ‘He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver’.  She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit in front of the fire the whole time. The man answered yes – not only had he to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time that it was in the fire.  If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was  silent for a moment.

Then she asked the silversmith, ‘How do you know when the silver is fully refined?’ He smiled at her and answered, ‘ Oh that’s easy – when I see my image in it .’

 Questions

In line with the story above, as  each of us is being refined into the image of God, what are the impurities / dross in your life that needs to be burned away by God’s holy fire?

What are some of the characteristics of God based on the story above? How do they apply in your life ?

Share and pray for each other.

As we read this story, a few key points emerge –

1] Seize every opportunity to accord a prophet hospitality.

2] Allow the Holy Spirit to reside rather than just visit.  Always prepare a dwelling place for God in our lives just as the Shunnamite woman prepared an ‘upper room’ for Elisha.

3] God’s desire is to bless us. We should not simply be contented to be just ‘ok’ but to fully receive His anointing. Even when things seem hopeless we should simply lay it before the Lord and allow Him to do His work.

4] On our part we must remain faithful and keep believing that the Lord is willing and able. Persist in leaning onto Him.

The essence of this story can be summarized as follows-

A]  Declare victory and do not concede to defeat.

B] Always lean on what the Lord has prophesied over and into your life. Reconnect with your prophetic purpose.

C] Push aside any obstacle that blocks your Godly journey and pursue your calling at all costs.

D] Be open to the fact God is not into method.  God is a creative God and will do it according to His will and timing.

E] Do not ease up on what you believe in until it has been released by the Lord.

Exercise

As you reflect on points [A] to [ E], where in  the Shunnamite woman’s story does each of these points apply?

Relate these key points to your own spiritual journey. How would you apply them to a specific challenge/burden you have?

Share and pray for each other.

 How many times are we challenged to see the spiritual realities which are infinitely more for us than against us? While we may feel we are  surrounded by the most challenging of circumstances and up against insurmountable odds , the right and best thing to do is to adopt a spiritual response.The realm of the spiritual is much more powerful than the natural. [read 2 Kings 6: 11-18].

Our intellect [brain, mind] can often hinder our spiritual journey. The story of the persistent widow in Luke 18: 1-5 reflects how we are to persist in prayers which in turn will help us press through to victory.  Don’t just pray and walk away.   Similar to a hen incubating an egg, we too must be faithful in waiting and believing that what we are praying for will be realised.   The hen has no guarantee that the chick will be born, yet day after day, she persists, believing that this will happen.

Jesus said ‘ if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there ,’ and it will move ; and nothing will be impossible for you.’ Matthew 17:20.

What is absolutely vital is to have the faith – even if it’s the smallest of faith……..

God is faithful and He will fulfil what He’s promised in due course according to His good and perfect will.. ‘Though it tarries, wait for it , for it will surely come ‘ [ Habbakuk 2:3].

 Exercise

Around your life, you have areas that need to be moved. There are challenges to be overcomed- at home, in the workplace, in yourself….situations that you know that God wants to shift. Maybe it’s a sickness to drive away, a relationship to reconcile or a financial situation to be resolved. Maybe you feel God’s been slow in answering a long awaited request you have been praying for for a long time…………..Perhaps you feel like that hen sitting on the egg, keeping the prayer request ‘warm till it’s born’ ………………

Share and pray for each other.