Category: 1 Samuel

An Old Testament Devotion for the Anxious Covenant Child’s Heart

But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”

In this verse, Samuel is all grown up, and he’s one of God’s prophets as well as a priest. God had just rejected Saul as king of Israel because of Saul’s disobedience, and He had sent Samuel to find the next king. God told Samuel the new king would be the son of a man named Jesse.

Jesse owned many sheep and had many sons. So when Samuel came to Jesse and asked to see his sons, Jesse brought out all of his oldest sons first, and Samuel was quite impressed! They were all tall, strong, and handsome! Surely one of these was God’s chosen new king!

But no, God told Samuel. He had chosen the youngest of the brothers.

He had chosen David.

As humans, it’s natural for us to compare ourselves to other people. We often feel discouraged when someone else has nicer clothes than we do, or is better at soccer, or maybe gets better grades. Maybe his family has more money to go on more vacations, or maybe her grandmother buys her a new phone every year. “Maybe I’m not so special after all,” we might think.

But this is not how we ought to look at ourselves (or anyone else). Everyone in this world is made in the image of God. (Remember when we talked about how you’re God’s piece of art?) Every human life has special worth because God created it. Even better, though, if you are God’s child and truly believe in Him as your Savior, it’s because God chose you. Isn’t it amazing to be chosen by God? And if you are chosen by God, God loves you so much that Christ died for you. Romans 8:16-17 says,

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.

We don’t need to compare ourselves to others to know we are special and loved. God already proved His love by sending Jesus to live and die for our sins in our place! And then Jesus rose from the dead so we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven!

Sometimes we don’t feel so special when people say mean things to or about us. But when that happens, we need to remember whose thoughts and judgments truly matter in the end.

I’ll give you a hint. It’s not the person who called you a name. The One whose opinion matters the most is God!

The Lord doesn’t value us based on our appearance or our talents. No, God looks at our hearts, just as he looked at the hearts of David and his brothers. Samuel saw how all of David’s older brothers were big and strong and handsome, but God wasn’t impressed by those things. God was thinking about the future king’s heart. And sure enough, God chose the youngest and smallest of the brothers because David was, as God said in 1 Samuel 13:14, a man after God’s own heart.

So as you grow, just remember that while it can feel good when people pay us compliments or think we’re important, we cannot rely on what others think about us to know our worth. Our worth lies in what God thinks of us! And when God looks at His children, He sees the beautiful artistic creations He made with love. He sees the righteousness of Christ, given to us through Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection. He sees the people He chose to save.

So don’t worry about what the world thinks or says about you. For you, child of God, are so very loved.

Discussion Questions

1. What did God mean when He told Samuel not to look on the outward appearance?

2. Should we judge others by how they look? Why or why not?

3. If the Lord considers the heart so important, how can we grow and nurture our own hearts in Him?

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An Old Testament Devotion for the Anxious Covenant Child’s Heart

For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.”

Once, there was an Israelite man with two wives. Now, this man should not have had two wives, but unfortunately, having more than one wife wive was what many men did in that part of the world. Still, despite the man’s sin, God had mercy, and this man loved God.

This man’s first wife had been blessed with many children, but the second wife, Hannah, could not have children. The first wife would often tease and make fun of Hannah for having no children, which made her so sad that not even her husband’s love could make her feel better.

So Hannah, being a godly woman, did what godly women do. She went to the House of the Lord and prayed to God. In fact, she prayed so hard that the Bible says she was “pouring out” her soul before God. She silently begged God for a child. She even promised God that if He gave her a son, she would return him to God’s service.

The priest at that time, Eli, was sitting on the steps as well, and when he saw Hannah, she told him that she was speaking to the Lord out of her anxiety and frustration. Eli, understanding what she meant, then kindly told her to go in peace, hoping that God would grant her what she asked for.

And God did. Soon, Hannah had a baby boy, and she named him Samuel. And just as she had promised God, when Samuel was old enough, she brought him to the House of the Lord to grow up in service of the Lord. And that was the way Samuel grew–in the service and worship of God.

So why is this verse important? Not all parents have the same problem as Hannah. Many Christian families have lots of children. Some families struggle to have children, just as Hannah did. Others adopt. And yet others have only one or two.

All of God’s covenant children, however, are just like Samuel, in that they do not belong to their parents. They are God’s children. And though it makes me sad to think about how my daughter and son will one day leave me and my husband and go off to live their own lives, I know that I cannot keep them from growing up. And I shouldn’t try.

You, covenant child, are just like Samuel, in that you are “lent to the Lord.” This means that God has given you to your parents for a short part of your life so that your parents may raise you in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—meaning they are to teach you to love and obey God.

But all that training is for a purpose. One day, you’ll make your way into the world as one of God’s servants, just as your parents did before you. God has plans for you, whether that’s as a parent, a spouse, a friend, a worker, a boss, a volunteer, or a church member. And God only knows the jobs and roles He has waiting for you. But God’s children are all called to be salt and light in this dark world, and this short childhood is meant to train you up so you may be salt and light as well, so the world can see the goodness of God through you.

But just as Samuel left his home, he was never alone. God was with him, as were Eli and God’s other servants. Hannah even brought him a new robe each year when she visited the temple. And just as Samuel was never alone, neither will you be. God will provide you with all the people and love that you need to grow into a servant of God.

So you, child of God, can sleep peacefully tonight knowing you have a purpose and great worth in God. And you are loved.

Discussion Questions

1. Why was Hannah sad?

2. What does it mean that Hannah poured her heart to God?

3. Can you pour out your heart to God? When should Christians pour out their hearts to God?

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