Happy new year - her we go with a new lockdown! This week we are starting a new series looking at the life of David. We begin his story in 1 Samuel 16. David is chosen by God to be King - God choses him over his 7 brothers - how would you pick a king?
Instruments at the ready....lets worship Jesus our King. Check out the thankful thought for grownups below and if you haven't already please register your child as a member of Jonah's crew - then I can give them a name call out in the videos and include you as a parent fully in our fellowship. Blessings Claire - register on the registration page from the groups drop down menu or email children@htcd.church for more details.
Blessings Claire xxx
Thankful Thought Jan 8th 2021 God’s Choice 1 Samuel 16 v1-13
Hope this finds you all well. It has been quite a rollercoaster of a Christmas and New Year break hasn’t it? It feels now like the start of another mountain climb with the new lockdown ahead of us.
We are starting a new series looking as events from the life of David and we begin in 1 Samuel 13 with David being chosen and anointed as a future King by Samuel. This is during the reign of King Saul – who had started as a great King but whose heart was hardening towards God and his people. David is anointed as a young boy, a King in waiting although the path to his Kingship is at this point is hard to see. The story begins where the Christmas story ended in Bethlehem the town known in the carols as “Royal David’s city” but at this stage in the plot it is just “Shepherd David’s town”.
The key verse for contemplation today is verse 7, Samuel is looking at the eldest son of Jesse and the Lord says “Do not look at how tall or hansom he is. I have not chosen him. God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but God looks at the heart.”
A joy of lockdown is that people can’t see so much of you and your home – no need to be super tidy or wearing the latest outfit and every excuse for a bad hair day too! People are only likely to see a few square metres of your home and your head and shoulders on zoom! That has been quite a relief for those of us who struggle with tidiness and fashion choices. However, if God were to look at your heart would he be impressed?
This is tougher – you can’t tidy up your heart with a quick dust and vacuum or mask it with some make-up. Neither is God concerned with your Fitbit heart statistics and your recovery pulse rate. God is concerned with your commitment and your motivation.
While reflecting on the year we have just lived through I was struck by how much and how quickly everything has changed and how uncertain the future looks. God however is unchanging. God is an anchor in any storm. God sees things differently to us.
So this New Year make a resolution to trust the unchanging one. Commit yourself to God your loving Father whole heartedly. Let the love of God be your motivation each and everyday.
Jesus commanded us to do this in Matthew 22 v 37:
Jesus replied “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your mind and all your soul”
Our banners in Holy Trinity reflect this constant nature of God in the words from revelation.
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,” who was, and is, and is to come.’ Rev 4 v 8
We cannot go outside at the moment so let us work on our insides and get our hearts right with God.
Blessings Claire x