The Hidden Things are Worth More
1 Samuel 16:1-7 (CSB) - “The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.” Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me! ” The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.” Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace? ” “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.
But his mentors emphasized not the things that the eye could see, but rather a hidden treasure, something more valuable that was within a person.
The Temptation of Comparison
1st Samuel 16:7 (CSB) - But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.
Rather, what is more valuable to God is the hidden treasure within the heart.
But his mentors emphasized not the things that the eye could see, but rather a hidden treasure, something more valuable that was within a person.
The Temptation of Comparison
1st Samuel 16:7 (CSB) - But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.
Rather, what is more valuable to God is the hidden treasure within the heart.
The First Hidden Treasure is Faithfulness.
Saul at Gilgal and Saul against the Amalekites
There will be instances in our lives when external pressures will come to squeeze and test our faithfulness to the Lord.
Proverbs 3:3-4- Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.
The Second Hidden Treasure is Integrity.
The Difference Between Saul and David is Repentance
What does yeast look like in our lives?
The hidden treasure of integrity is reliable to bring about sustainable fulfillment and purpose in our lives.
The Third Hidden Treasure is Humility.
Andrew Murray Quote: The humble man feels no jealousy or envy. He can praise God when others are preferred and blessed before him. He can bear to hear others praised while he is forgotten, because he has received the spirit of Jesus, who sought not His own honor."
The hidden treasure of humility puts love, relationships, and community first above the self.
