Surviving Chaos

1 Samuel 16:11

So he [Samuel] asked Jesse, “Are there all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

Can we be honest for a moment? You know, Honest; the expression of vulnerability and humility where we take a deep look beyond the surface to address the root of our own existence? Maybe that was a bit over the top but you know what I mean.

Last night during my weekly youth group meeting, I began to teach the students out of 1 Samuel 16. If you’re not familiar with it I challenge you to take some time, download a bible app or grab a bible off the shelf and take a look. It’s an amazing story that we all can relate to on one level or another.

Anyways, as to bring us all up to speed here’s a brief synopsis:

Samuel is the prophet of Israel. He has been leading the Israelites for many years under the direction and voice of God. At some point, the Israelites look around at all the other countries and cultures around them and practically demand a King. They wanted to be like everyone else. God, being the loving God he is, has Samuel anointed a reluctant man name Saul as the first King of Israel. At first, Saul seems out of his element, but later does amazing things while empowered by the Spirit of God.

King Saul eventually is corrupted by his own pride and loses favor with God. Samuel (in 1 Samuel 16) is commanded to find a replacement for Saul; the next king of Israel. Samuel is commanded to go to Bethlehem, seek out a guy by the name of Jesse, and anoint one of his sons. Samuel is obedient, meets with Jesse, and we all know the rest of the story…David, a young teenager is anointed to be the next king of Israel. Why? Because God saw the potential of David as a young man.

As I broke this scripture down with the youth group last night my heart kept coming back to verse 11. Samuel asks Jesse, “ Are there all the sons you have “? It’s interesting if you put yourself in Samuel’s shoes for a minute. Here he is doing his best to be obedient to God and his leading. He knows full well that if King Saul hears Samuel is going behind the king’s back to anoint someone else as king it means his life. Then as Jesse’s sons start entering the room and parading before Samuel, the answer from God concerning their potential kingship is a firm “No” seven (7) times. Samuel must have been a bit confused and discouraged when he asked, “ Are there all the sons you have “? God had promised to show Samuel exactly who would be HIS choice. But seven (7) times the answer was “NO”.

As Samuel asked the question, all eyes must have been on Jesse. Jesse presented the very best before the prophet and God, or so he thought. As a father he probably had pride that he could present these fine sons before the prophet. Yet it wasn’t enough. There was one missing. “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”

At this point in out meeting, I stopped and parked for conversation. I have heard dozens of pastors preach and teach on the anointing of David. I honestly don’t recall a single time of hearing anyone speak to the wound Jesse placed on David, the man after God’s heart. And in the world we live where there is confusion, frustration, and such polarity over identity, we simply dismiss the fact that the bible heroes we look up to were broken people…just like us!

Let’s put this into perspective for a moment. Meeting with the prophet Samuel was the equivalent of meeting with the president. I told my students that if the President called me up and said, “Hey, I want you and your family to fly from Oklahoma to Washington, D.C. so I can meet you and we can share a pizza together”, I wouldn’t have to stop and think about it. I’m going to pull all my kids out of school, find a babysitter for the pets, and get on the first flight to Washington, D.C. It’s a done deal. Why? Because it’s the President. The office alone holds enough gravitas for me to move towards obedience. There isn’t an excuse big enough for me to sway away from following through on the request. My whole family was requested, my whole family is going.

But for Jesse, things weren’t seen this way. Whatever the reason, Jesse felt as if David should remain back with the sheep. There probably were other people who could have taken care of the sheep. Jesse could have dropped everything, gathered up all of his boys and made the journey to meet up with Samuel, but he did not. And in his actions, whether he had realized it or not had caused a huge wound to his youngest son David. Jesse, though his actions caused the wound of Unworthiness.

Here’s where the honesty plays out. I’m not picking on Jesse. I’m not saying he was a candidate for “Worst Father of the Year”. What I am saying is this, I can relate. I know I have wounded all my boys through the words I’ve said and not said. I know my actions have caused wounds. I know empty and unfulfilled promises have caused wounds. Thankfully, through God’s grace, most of those wounds have turned into scars instead of the festering, infection filled wounds they once were.

But, I can also relate to David. I have had wounds caused by the words and actions of those who are closest to me. There are plenty of times where people have thought very little of me and made it very clearly known. I have had those closest to me shatter dreams, and tell me I would never amount to anything. Those are wounds that through the elapse of time and forgiveness (and a little bit of counseling) have healed. The scars will always remain. But the scars help me to remember what it is to hurt from open wounds. They curb my tongue and direct my actions. My scars become a filter on how I raise my boys to become men after God’s heart.

Perhaps you have experienced wounds from someone close to you. Perhaps some of those wounds have never healed into scars. May I offer one bit of lasting hope.

vs. 11 Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”

vs. 12 So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”

It didn’t matter that David was the youngest or unworthy in Jesse’s eyes. What mattered more than anything was God saw David as he really was and the potential of what he could become. Truth is God sees all of us through the same lens. He sees us not like the world sees us. He sees us as unique, precious, and loved. He designed us to fulfill a part of HIS plan and HIS purpose. We knows all of our wounds and offers to help heal them one by one.

My challenge for you (and myself) is this: Stop letting the words, actions, and labels of this world define who we are or are not. Instead listen to the one voice who loves us unconditionally and calls us unique, precious, and loved.