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1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate.” Samuel did what the Lord said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, “Do you come in peace?” Samuel replied, “Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the Lord.” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, “Nor has the Lord chosen this one.” Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.” Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.” So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. Samuel then went to Ramah.

By: Deacon Renée Beyea (MDiv)

Today’s Old Testament reading begins with the Lord asking Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul?” But the question isn’t about how long Samuel will mourn; the chapter preceding implies he mourned until the day he died. The Lord doesn’t miraculously heal Samuel’s grief. Neither does he say, “Once you’ve worked through this, I’ll give you the next assignment.” What the Lord wants to know is if Samuel will allow his grief to hinder his obedience. It’s a compassionate question calculated to stir Samuel to action.

Grief is a process and a normal response to loss. Consider Samuel. He was obedient to God from a young age. He anointed, mentored, encouraged, rebuked and prayed for Saul, this tall, insecure young man, only to witness him reject the word of the Lord and the Lord reject Saul as king. Of course Samuel mourned. The problem is not with grief but with being stuck. We know many types of loss, and all have the potential to shackle us. Perhaps we grieve the death of a loved one or a child gone astray. Perhaps we mourn for lost jobs or for ministries that have never taken wing though we were obedient. We grieve for lost marriages, for lost dreams, for lost innocence. We mourn choices that cannot be unmade and consequences that cannot be undone even as we know the cleansing of forgiveness. We mourn the loss of health and the possibility we may never be the same this side of heaven.

When we find ourselves stuck, the Lord speaks to us from the tenderness of infinite love. “How long will you mourn?” If we confess and ask for help, our Savior looses the chains that bind us and strengthens us by His Spirit. We may still grieve or mourn, but we are no longer immobilized. Then He calls us to serve Him, sometimes in new and unexpected ways. For Samuel, his new calling was an unlikely young shepherd with a heart after God, but first he had to fill his horn and go.