This Is The One

THIS IS THE ONE

a prayer to open

My Lord, my God, show me your heart. Ground me in your presence.

Draw me near and hold me close.

Now the LORD said to Samuel, “You have mourned long enough for Saul. I have rejected him as king of Israel, so fill your flask with olive oil and go to Bethlehem. Find a man named Jesse who lives there, for I have selected one of his sons to be my king.”

But Samuel asked, “How can I do that? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.”

“Take a heifer with you,” the LORD replied, “and say that you have come to make a sacrifice to the LORD. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you which of his sons to anoint for me.”

So Samuel did as the LORD instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. “What’s wrong?” they asked. “Do you come in peace?”

“Yes,” Samuel replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” . . .

When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, “Surely this is the LORD’s anointed!”

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “This is not the one the LORD has chosen.” Next Jesse summoned Shimea, but Samuel said, “Neither is this the one the LORD has chosen.” In the same way all seven of Jesse’s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.

And the LORD said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel . . . anointed David with [olive] oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on. . . .

Now the Spirit of the LORD had left Saul, and the LORD sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear.

Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you.” . . .

“All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.”

One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the LORD is with him.”

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.” Jesse responded by sending David to Saul. . . .

So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer. . . . Whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.

In this passage, we meet David for the first time. He was the youngest of eight sons, and from the outside he looked far less kingly than any of his brothers. But God didn’t look at his appearance or external attributes; he looked at the state of his heart and spoke these incredible words: “This is the one” (verse 12). David would become the standard against which all other kings and rulers in Israel’s future would be measured. But as we’ll see as we read on, David was not perfect. He made life-altering mistakes and life-ending choices. But there was something unique about his heart toward God that made him stand out and become a chosen instrument in God’s hands for God’s purposes.

• Identify all the characteristics used to describe David in this passage. Which ones stand out most?
• Who do you know that you would describe as having a heart for God? What causes you to describe them that way?
• What areas of your own heart seem misaligned with God? What is your prayer with respect to these particular areas?

Father, I long to be a person like David with a heart that beats for you. Examine the very depths of my soul and replace any darkness with your light, and any hatred with your love. Remove any stinginess or anger. Point out the ways I do not honor you with my thoughts. Transform my heart so that it is open and responsive to your Spirit. And use me to bring your love into the world. Amen.