An Ordinary Man/平常人

1 view

Skip to first unread message

Dexu Xia

unread,

Jan 13, 2019, 1:40:25 AM1/13/19

to dmcf_dailybread

An Ordinary Man

People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7

William Carey was a sickly boy, born to a humble family near Northampton, England. His future didn’t look too bright. But God had plans for him. Against all odds, he moved to India, where he brought incredible social reforms and translated the Bible into several Indian languages. He loved God and people, and accomplished many things for God.

David, son of Jesse, was an ordinary young man, the youngest in his family. He was seemingly an insignificant shepherd on the hills of Bethlehem (1 Samuel 16:11–12). Yet God saw David’s heart and had a plan for him. King Saul had been rejected by God for disobedience. While the prophet Samuel mourned Saul’s choices, God called Samuel to anoint a different king, one of Jesse’s sons.

When Samuel saw the handsome, tall Eliab, he naturally thought, “surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord” (v. 6). However, God’s strategy to select a king was much different than Samuel’s. In fact, God said no to each of Jesse’s sons, except the youngest one. Selecting David as king was definitely not a strategic move from God’s part, or so it seemed at first glance. What would a young shepherd have to offer his community, let alone his country?

How comforting to know that the Lord knows our hearts and has His plans for us.

Dear Lord, thank You that You care more about my heart’s attitude toward You than my outward beauty, possessions, or achievements.

Welcome to Estera Pirosca Escobar! Meet all our authors at odb.org/all-authors.

God’s priority is your heart.

平常人

人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心。-撒母耳记上16章7节

威廉·克理（William Carey）出生在英格兰一个贫穷家庭，自小体弱多病。他的人生看似黯淡，但上帝对他却有许多计划。尽管有极大的困难，他还是去了印度，在那里带动令人难以置信的社会改革，并将圣经翻译成数种印度的语言。他爱上帝与众人，为上帝做了许多事工。

耶西的儿子大卫是个平凡的少年，是家中最小的孩子，似乎是伯利恒山区毫不起眼的牧童（撒母耳记上16章11-12节）。但上帝看重的是他的心，对他的生命有所计划。那时，扫罗王因不顺服而被上帝厌弃。先知撒母耳还在为扫罗的抉择而悲伤时，上帝要撒母耳从耶西的众子中膏立另一个王。

当撒母耳看到高大俊美的以利押时，想当然地认为“耶和华的受膏者必定在祂面前”（6节）。但是上帝选择君王的策略与撒母耳截然不同。事实上，除了耶西最小的儿子之外，其他的全遭上帝否决。上帝拣选大卫为王，乍看之下绝非上策。一个年少的牧童能为他的邻舍，为国家做些什么呢？

想到上帝看重的是我们的内心，而且祂对我们有所计划，真令人欣慰！

亲爱的主，感谢祢在意的是我内心对祢的态度，
而非我的外貌、财富或成就。