After God’s Own Heart
Today’s scripture selection: First Samuel 16-20
Key verse: First Samuel 18:12
From the very beginning – David, God’s chosen, had enemies.
Anointed by Samuel, this shepherd boy who was destined to be king had to contend with those both in and outside the kingdom that wanted him dead. Not the least of the challenges he faced was the odd relationship he had with the sitting king – Saul.
Read the long, sordid history and you find that though clearly “anointed” by God – his path was far from easy or clearly defined.
And, his own spiritual demons would plague him as well.
Still, he is known to this day as “a man after God’s own heart.”
One of the lessons I take from that is that we can be a child of God; a faithful follower; a member of the kingdom and still have major obstacles in life.
Being called does not mean you are perfect.
In fact, the more typical message of scripture is that God uses the weak, imperfect vessels among us to do His most spectacular work.
So don’t worry about your limitations or your past failings.
Don’t worry about those who would point out every flaw and every inconsistency and use it as an example of your un-worthiness.
Don’t fret over the fact that when you look in the mirror you see flaws.
God sees possibility. God sees a potential man or woman “after God’s own heart.”
And that means – miracles can happen.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for seeing past my imperfections and calling me to You as one of your own. Use me to your glory. AMEN.
By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. Elpis is the Greek word meaning “expectant hope.” He also serves on the associate clinical staff of the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care, Richmond, Virginia, both as a pastoral counselor and a ministerial assessment specialist, specializing in executive, clergy and relationship coaching. He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, and a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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