Receiving Instruction Through Steps of Obedience
And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons….. And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee. And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. I Samuel 16:1, 3-4 (KJV)
God asked Samuel how long he would mourn for Saul. God had moved on from Saul, and He wanted Samuel to do the same. He then gave him specific instructions to fill his horn with oil and head to the house of Jesse to anoint a king of Israel from the sons of Jesse. God told him to do this because He already had a king picked out. This was all that God revealed to Samuel. If Samuel had not obeyed and taken the steps God had instructed him to, God would not have shown him what to do next.
God told Samuel that He would show him what he was to do next once he obeyed the first insruction. Samuel did as he was told, and God then gave him the next word of instruction. We must know what God says and then do it in order to get His direction for the next step to take. We can’t reason things away and fail to follow His instructions, or we will miss something God has planned.
Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, The Lord hath not chosen these. I Samuel 16:10 (KJV)
Samuel obeyed and went to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem. Seven of Jesse’s sons were brought before Samuel, and God did not indicate that any of them was the one chosen to be king. Have you obeyed God and it looked like nothing came of it? If so, wait on God and listen for Him to tell you what to do next.
And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. I Samuel 16:11-13 (KJV)
God did not tell Samuel to anoint any of the seven men he had seen, so he asked if there were any other sons. Jesse admitted that there was one more who was out tending the sheep. Samuel told him to send for the young man. When David arrived, God told Samuel to anoint him because he was the one who had been chosen. Samuel received the answer from God once he had taken steps of obedience to the words he had already been given.
When things don’t look good and circumstances don’t seem to be working out, listen to God. Make sure you have obeyed any previous instruction you have received from Him, then He will give you the next step to take. Step by step, you will see a good outcome. Samuel eventually saw a good result as he followed the Lord’s voice and did as he was instructed. As we follow Samuel’s example, we too can expect good results.
