The Lord “rejected” Saul “from being king over Israel” because Saul “rejected the word of the Lord” (1 Sam. 15:26). That’s the end of last lesson’s story. But it isn’t the end of God’s Big Story. God raised up a new king, one after his own heart.

As Samuel was grieving over Saul, God came and said, “Go to the town of Bethlehem and find a man named Jesse. I will pick one of his sons to be the next king.” When he arrived, Samuel saw Eliab, Jesse’s oldest son. He took out his oil to anoint him: “Surely [this is] the Lord’s anointed” (16:6). Eliab, like Saul, was tall and strong. But God said to Samuel, “For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (16:7). Jesse paraded his next oldest son and the next and the next and the next and the next and the next. Seven sons! “Do you have any more sons?” Samuel asked. “Well,” Jesse said, “there is David. But he is the youngest and he is just a shepherd boy” (see 16:11). But God knew this was a boy that trusted him. Samuel said, “Bring him to me.” When David arrived, he anointed him the new king, and “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David” (16:13). Let’s see what the Spirit of the Lord can do through those who trust him.