God shows us in King David that He looks at things differently than the world sees them. He doesn’t often use the one who appears the most qualified but many times uses the one who appears the most unqualified or unfit. This was certainly true when God sent Samuel to find the next King of Israel to replace Saul and he came upon Jesse’s sons. On the surface, David didn’t appear to have a chance and in fact, wasn’t even in the initial lineup. But God kept rejecting the ones who by appearance or skill would have been the most qualified. In fact, when Samuel came across Jesse’s Son Eliab, who was so physically striking that Samuel thought for sure this must be the one who God had chosen. I love this interaction in 1 Samuel 16:6-7 when it says:
“When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord. ”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.”
This is a foundational principle in the Bible that is carried throughout both the Old and New Testaments. Simply put, God doesn’t think how we think. Isaiah 55:8-9 makes this clear when it says, ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Jesus chose twelve ragtag guys to be His Disciples and totally transformed the world, all the while confounding the religious scholars, rulers and elites of the day and He is still doing the same today. His way is to take the ones who are available, not the ones who appear qualified. God cherishes availability more than ability. Anyone + God is a majority. David said yes to God, and even though no one understood how God had chosen the least likely one of Jesse's sons to be the future King, God had his man and He took him on the wild adventure of a lifetime and He wants to do the same with you. The only question we need to answer is will we say "yes" to Him when He asks us to leave our comfort zone and follow Him.