Prayer Journal

Friday, December 29, 2000
364/2
Read the Bible through in OneYear

"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 man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" 1 Sam 16:7

The art of photography today is blessed with a plethora of equipment utilizing digital intelligence. The simplest camera, purchased at the local supermarket, utilizes automatic settings which eliminate the need for any special training by the user.

Professional photographers however, need equipment which permit subjective manual adjustment. Unlike the consumer, the professional photographer needs to determine the amount of light and the degree of lens opening that will expose the image to film or disk. These options give the professional the ability to accurately focus on a subject by rendering the foreground and background out of the field of focus. This feature will draw attention to the subject rather than the surrounding landscape.

As the professional photographer focuses on his subject to draw attention to it, Christians should live the same way. And as the sharp focus on the subject creates a field of focus, so the Christian should live in a way that unimportant things are not the object of too much attention.

Samuel went to the home of Jesse to find the man God had chosen to be the leader of His people. He chose Saul as king. Saul stood head and shoulders above all others in the land and Samuel planned to follow suit with the sons of Jesse. But, on this day, God would teach Samuel how to do it His way - training his focus with God's supernatural camera lens, called discernment.

You see, when God told Samuel, "Don't look at this or that", He was defining those things out of God's field of focus. As Samuel kept applying his natural vision, God was telling him, "Use my vision, Samuel, not your own!"

Amazingly, with just a simple instruction to Samuel, the prophet understood what God was telling him. Samuel told Jesse, "That's not him. Bring me another. No, that's not him. Not him either!" It was like in a moment, God took Samuel's natural eyes and replaced them with eyes in his heart which looked at each candidate through God's heart and God's eyes. We know the rest of the story. (1 Sam 16:11-13)

The lesson to learn from Samuel's experience is that we don't have to chase down God and ask Him to keep changing the lens of our natural eyesight. God found Samuel, interrupted him while he was doing God's work and adjusted his vision (vs 7). Samuel was not only in the right place but he was constantly in a dependent state, waiting on God to tell him how to do what He called him to do.

Samuel had to get in the PLACE God wanted him. Then he had to get in the POSITION God wanted him. Is it any different for us as we live for the Lord? Are you in the right place and in the right position for God to interrupt you?    Just Thinkin'.. WebServant

His word shall not fail you - He promised; Believe Him and all will be well; Then go to a world that is dying, His perfect salvation to tell! Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. (1)

 

(1) Turn Your Eyes upon Jesus, Helen H. Lemmel, © 1922 by Singspiration Music.
(2) Scripture comes from the Holy Bible, New International Version; (c)1978 by New York International Bible Society
(3) The images used herein were obtained from the Learning Company's ClickArt Christian Graphics Deluxe product, (c)1999 The Learning Company, Inc and its subsidiaries, 88 Roland Way, Novato, CA 94945 USA. All Rights Reserved.

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