God Sees You, Even When Your Family Doesn’t 

Samuel the prophet was sent by God to anoint the next king of Israel following Saul’s disobedience. The people had chosen Saul, but God chose David. Acts 13:20-22 recounts the story:

“After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will’” (NKJV).

1 Samuel 16:9-11 tells the story of the anointing of David the shepherd as king of the Israelites:

“Next Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, ‘The Lord has not chosen this one either.’ Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, ‘The Lord has not chosen these.’ And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are these all the children?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’

“So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah” (NKJV).

I find it comforting that God chose David in spite of his family’s expectations. When Samuel went to the house of Jesse, each of David’s older brothers were brought before him. Their father expected that one of them would be anointed as the next king. Jesse watched Samuel pass by each man saying. “The Lord has not chosen this one.” It wasn’t until after Samuel prompted Jesse that he thought to bring in his youngest son, David.

I suspect the anointing of David was a surprise to his older brothers. David was a shepherd boy, left behind in the fields when Samuel arrived at their home. Being the youngest, its possible David learned to be a shepherd from his older brothers. They probably watched him make mistakes and could have even been told to protect David when he first went to the fields.

1 Samuel 16:7 says this about David’s anointing:  “But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’”

We could give Jesse the benefit of the doubt about leaving David with the sheep. God is pretty clear: man looks at the outside. Compared to his older brothers, David wasn’t as big or strong. It’s possible he wasn’t seen as mature enough to be considered as the future king, either. Jesse most likely went with tradition, in which case the oldest son would have been the logical choice, not the youngest.

One of the most consistent things I find in working with college students is their deep desire for the approval of their parents. I understand where they are coming from. I find myself still wanting my parents’ approval in life!Like the students I work with, and probably like you too, I don’t always feel my family sees the possibility within me. They don’t always agree with my life decisions. For example, I graduated from college with a major in athletic training. Although I enjoyed my major a lot, marrying a football coach changed my priorities. I knew I’d never see my husband or be able to support him the way I wanted to if we followed our respective career paths, so I  chose to focus on my minor as a fitness specialist instead. Over the years I’ve had more than one conversation with friends, family members, and even strangers who have asked me if I’ll ever use my degree.

Three years ago, twelve years after graduating, I accepted a job as a wellness advocate for two college campuses. I rely heavily on the knowledge I first developed in my college classes every time I meet with a client or facilitate a health challenge. It’s not the way I expected to use my degree, but the job fits well with our full lives and is something I deeply enjoy.

He stands in the gap where our families sometimes fail to see us clearly. David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart. He wasn’t given that description because he was perfect; he was given it because God saw what others couldn’t. God saw the potential within him.

I’m not saying it’s easy, but when it comes down to it, I’d rather have God’s approval of my life choices above everything else. Jesse didn’t see a king when he looked at his son, but God did.

God said that he knew David would “do all [his] will.” David worshipped God and sought to understand him. Many of the Psalms were written by David, which gives us a peek at his heart. David made hard choices in his life with confidence because he knew he had God’s approval. I’m not perfect in this area, but I’m striving daily to walk the path God has called me to walk, regardless of who approves.

Beth Walker is a football coach’s wife and mom of two energetic boys. As a writer, Beth has been striving to find her own voice through pursuing Jesus, personal life reflection, and her ministry encouraging college women to grow in their relationships with God. She blogs at lessonsfromthesidelines.wordpress.com.