Anointed
“Let Him go ahead of you in your anointed calling!”
1 Samuel 16:1, 6-13 (NLT)
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.”
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 took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
Reflection:
In today’s verse we see Samuel anoint David as next king of Israel in front of his father and seven brothers. Anointing was a physical act recognizing the Lord’s divine calling upon someone’s life. Typically, ceremonial anointing was done by covering a person with scented oil, declaring a particular role for God’s calling on them – king, prophet, or priest.
When we accept Jesus’ salvation, we are saved by His work on the cross, after which we are to live in obedience and faith through the Holy Spirit. Through obedience and faith, we find and recognize our anointed calling. Paul writes, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV). So, by His word, we can all agree we’ve been anointed!
When God’s blessings meet all our expectations, we can feel anointed. But what happens when life’s plan doesn’t meet our expectations?
When life feels like constant struggle and disappointment…
When we see evil prosper and good ignored…
When we’ve done our devotions, spent time in His word, prioritized prayer, yet God feels distant…
When we’re standing as one of the seven brothers, who have done everything right in the eyes of their father, yet it seems God’s blessing us passes over…
In those moments I think we feel more entitled than we do anointed.
We devise expectations for God’s work in our lives, and assume outcomes that may not be His will. Our emotions are often tied to getting what we want and getting what we feel we’re owed. Fortunately, we don’t get what we are owed. Instead, it’s God’s mercy that anoints us and gives us all we need.
Our peace, worth, and joy are not tied to our expectations and emotions, but what Jesus did for us on the cross. He has already given us more than we deserve, and promises us so much more.
Keeping this in focus, we can stay content and encouraged in every circumstance, living lives of anointing instead of entitlement, trusting that our God is in control of every situation. Let Him go ahead of you in your anointed calling!
Action Steps:
Take some time to mediate on this verse right now: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV). What is God revealing to you about your own anointing?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have given me. Thank You for setting me apart with a unique calling on my life. If there are entitlements in my heart that are tied to my own expectations, I ask You to strip them from me. Let me live with a heart that pursues the anointed calling You’ve put on my life. Let me seek Your will for me with full trust and obedience. In Your name, amen!
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.”
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 took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.
Reflection:
In today’s verse we see Samuel anoint David as next king of Israel in front of his father and seven brothers. Anointing was a physical act recognizing the Lord’s divine calling upon someone’s life. Typically, ceremonial anointing was done by covering a person with scented oil, declaring a particular role for God’s calling on them – king, prophet, or priest.
When we accept Jesus’ salvation, we are saved by His work on the cross, after which we are to live in obedience and faith through the Holy Spirit. Through obedience and faith, we find and recognize our anointed calling. Paul writes, “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV). So, by His word, we can all agree we’ve been anointed!
When God’s blessings meet all our expectations, we can feel anointed. But what happens when life’s plan doesn’t meet our expectations?
When life feels like constant struggle and disappointment…
When we see evil prosper and good ignored…
When we’ve done our devotions, spent time in His word, prioritized prayer, yet God feels distant…
When we’re standing as one of the seven brothers, who have done everything right in the eyes of their father, yet it seems God’s blessing us passes over…
In those moments I think we feel more entitled than we do anointed.
We devise expectations for God’s work in our lives, and assume outcomes that may not be His will. Our emotions are often tied to getting what we want and getting what we feel we’re owed. Fortunately, we don’t get what we are owed. Instead, it’s God’s mercy that anoints us and gives us all we need.
Our peace, worth, and joy are not tied to our expectations and emotions, but what Jesus did for us on the cross. He has already given us more than we deserve, and promises us so much more.
Keeping this in focus, we can stay content and encouraged in every circumstance, living lives of anointing instead of entitlement, trusting that our God is in control of every situation. Let Him go ahead of you in your anointed calling!
Action Steps:
Take some time to mediate on this verse right now: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22 NIV). What is God revealing to you about your own anointing?
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for all You have given me. Thank You for setting me apart with a unique calling on my life. If there are entitlements in my heart that are tied to my own expectations, I ask You to strip them from me. Let me live with a heart that pursues the anointed calling You’ve put on my life. Let me seek Your will for me with full trust and obedience. In Your name, amen!
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