Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule:
1 Samuel 16-20
The entire church listens with acute attention as the pastor calls the kids forward for the children’s message. One Sunday, he held up two bananas. The first was discolored with brown and black spots all over the skin. The second banana was smooth and yellow with no blemishes. The first appeared spoiled and over-ripe; the second looked just right to eat.
The pastor had previously prepared these two bananas for the object lesson. The first banana he placed in the refrigerator where the skin blackened and discolored. Then he prepared the second banana by poking a toothpick carefully many times along one of its sides to bruise and spoil its fruit. The pastor said, “I have two bananas, but I can’t tell which is good and which is bad. Maybe you can help.” First, he held up the brown and black one and asked how many would eat this banana. None of the children’s hands went up. A few of them responded with sounds of distaste and rejection. Then he held up the first nice-looking banana and asked how many would eat this one. Every one of the children’s hands went up. Then the pastor said, “Sometimes fruit may look good on the outside when it’s really rotten on the inside.” Next, he peeled the yellow banana with no blemishes. Even though it looked good on the outside, inside the fruit was very bruised and spoiled. None of the kids said they would eat that fruit.
Then the pastor peeled the banana with the brown and black spots This was the banana that at first no one wanted. Its fruit was firm and ripe and ready to eat. Everyone wanted a taste of this banana. When God told Samuel to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to be king over Israel, Samuel began to look on their outward appearance, thinking God wanted someone who was tall and strong. But God wanted David, who was young and still growing, to be king. In verse 17 God told Samuel, “Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” God is not concerned with how we look on the outside. He wants us to have faithful hearts.
Because Saul was unfaithful, God had rejected him as king. Now He wanted to teach Samuel a lesson on how to look for a good king who would serve Him with a faithful heart. Could God choose you because of what He sees in your heart?
Prayer Requests:
Personal
- Lord, please help me to love you with all my heart.
- Lord, please help me to serve you with a pure heart.
- Lord, please help me to worship you for who you are and what you are like.
Political
- Representative Jewell Jones – District 011 – Inkster
- Representative Bronna Kahle – District 057 – Adrian
- Representative Sheryl Kennedy – District 048 – Davison