"So the last will be first, and the first will be last”- Mathew 20:16 (NIV)
When God had rejected Saul as King, Samuel was given the task to look for his successor. As the story goes Samuel knew of a certain family with strong boys. Samuel invited Jesse who gathered and presented him his muscled boys, for a pick.
In most cultures, the eldest always have the first choice. Years back when the patriarch Joseph took his sons to his father Jacob for blessing, he wanted Manasseh, the eldest to be blessed before Ephraim, who was younger. Jacob had waved him off. He “refused and said.. truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations” (Genesis 48: 19).
In this case too, starting with Eliab, on to Abinadab, then Shammah, Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, only to fail to make the cut. Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these” (1 Samuel 16:10). Jesse looked around. It is then as an afterthought, David came into the picture. “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep” (vv 11). Once David arrived on the scene, there was no guessing. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one” (vv 12).
In life one may appear at the bottom, a bit late for the party. One may be at the end of the list, all the names, with surpassing distinctions read, and yours is not mentioned. One may get to the fuel depot of life late, all the cars ahead filled, and one wonders if he will too be called up for the springs of life. The years may be rolling and one might be still at the bottom, seemingly forgotten, wandering about in nameless tasks.. There are many such situations when one feels he is completely out of the picture, all chances to strike and make a hit gone.
The Lord has a way in which He can bring a smile to the seemingly forgotten, turn the tables around to those who thought one was forgotten. As David, who knew a lot about of what it means being at the bottom wrote, in Psalm 9:10 “And those who know Your name will put their trust in You, For You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.”
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, where sometimes I feel it is getting late to realize certain dreams yet here you show through scriptures there is never too late or forgotten with you, as you can reveal yourself and anoint one even when least expected, and so I pray for unwavering trust in you through all situations.
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24/04/2024 - 25/04/2024 All day“May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed” (Psalm 20:4)
Premier Joseph and King David have a particular common characteristics: two individuals who were blessed with success, in their work. When Joseph was taken into the household of Potiphar, “The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered...When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant” ( Gen 39:2-4).
Even when he was imprisoned later, on false accusations, “The LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there” (vv 21-22). Later in his life he is made second in command of Egypt by Pharaoh. “You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you” (Genesis 41:40).
For David, after he disposed off Goliath, “Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that Saul gave him a high rank in the army” (1 Samuel 18:5). His success on the battle field would soon cause trouble for him when the troops started singing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands” (vv 7).
In spite of Saul’s anger at the comparison and even trying to kill him, for David “in everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. When Saul saw how successful he was, he was afraid of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he led them in their campaigns” (vv 14-16). Eventually, the throne would pass on to David.
Success in life is one of the blessings the Lord has marked out for believers. These individuals were successful because the Lord was with them. The only one who does not wish to see success of us, is the enemy Satan, who comes to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10). May we pray that our lives are characterized with the anointing of success, because the Lord is with us!
Prayer for today: Lord Father God of Abraham, maker of heaven and earth, today I pray that I bask in your success, in all that I do, because as was with your servants Joseph, David, Daniel and others, you are with me, and this I pray in Jesus’ name.
