The Unexpected
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 10 Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The LORD has not chosen any of these." 11 Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here." 12 He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; for this is the one."
(1 Samuel 16:7, 11-12)
Chosen and anointed, David was on the path to power and privilege. Over seven older brothers, who looked like young men that the prophet, Samuel, would have chosen, God chose David. But this proclamation changed nothing about David's immediate life. He was still the youngest son, with no power, doing the lowliest job as a shepherd. David's own father didn't consider him worthy to be presented to Samuel even after the prophet announced that none of the sons Jesse presented had been chosen by God.
The mustard seed is touted as being the smallest seed, and yet it has the capacity to exponentially cover the ground with its plant. At every stage of its being, the mustard seed is useful. The seed itself can be ground up, and the leaves of the plant can be cooked and prepared in many ways. The plant can be allowed to grow, spread, and blossom as ground cover. Even if the plant dries up in the ground, it can be tilled into the soil increasing the soil's fertility and decreasing the weeds.
David's destiny was not apparent from his present circumstances. Even in his failures, God would use David - revealing a repentant heart that constantly sought God. The potency of the mustard seed is not evidenced by its size. Yet, Jesus would use this seed to explain the inscrutable and pervasive kingdom of God. Similarly, our past and present do not dictate our future. In God's hands, our yielded lives are fertile ground through which God can
transform any landscape.
30 He also said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable will we use for it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." (Mark 4:30-32)
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