“But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looking on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Yesterday we looked at Samuel’s posture toward the next generation.  He refused to sit down until the next generation (David) was anointed.  He refused to “Sit down on the job.”  Today, I want to share a couple practical ways that we can posture ourselves just as Samuel did.

1. He listened to God

By this time in his life Samuel had already been a prophet for many years.  He grew up in church…literally.  Well, maybe not church, but in the temple.  You get the idea.  Even this business of anointing a king was not new to him.  He had done it before when he anointed Saul (1 Samuel 9).  It would have been easy for him to get prideful and think that he could do this all by himself.  He could have just went in and picked who he felt best, but he did not.  He chose to listen to God.

No amount of skill, experience, power, or position can ever replace the voice of God in our lives.  We must still remember that apart from him we can do NOTHING (John 15).  We must not allow our work for God to replace our walk with God.  For the greatest trait of a youth worker is simply that they love God first and foremost.  The greatest trait is not that we are cool, trendy, or even that we like hanging with students.  The greatest trait is that we Love God first.  It is dangerous if we get the two great commandments out of order (Mt. 22:36-40).  When we love people before we love God we will have a “Ministry-Centerd” life instead of a “God-Centered” life.  Samuel listened to God.  Even at this stage of his life and ministry his ear was still tuned to the voice of God.

2. He saw with Fresh Vision

When he listened to the voice of God, his vision was challenged.  God said that he needed to change the way that he was looking at the next generation.  He said literally, “for man looks at the face, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

“We, being human, are subject to that same problem.  We are impressed with, or not impressed with, individuals because we judge on the basis of surface appearance.  We look at the externals, and we form opinions that are usually erroneous.” – Chuck Swindoll

To stand up for a generation we too must be filled with fresh vision when we look at the students in which we serve.  It is very easy to just write certain students off for one reason or another.  This is what people have already done to many of them.  Maybe they have parents who have told them that they will never amount to anything. This is what Jesse did to David.  Maybe they are the quiet kid who sits alone or the one who always gets in trouble; either way don’t write them off.  Be like Samuel and allow God to give you fresh vision for the students you serve.  Don’t see them as problems.  See them as possibilities.

Who, right now,  is God highlighting in your mind?
What student do you need to reach out to or encourage today?
That is the fresh vision that comes from listening to His voice. We begin to see as He sees.

I am so thankful that someone stood up for me.

We are all here today because someone chose to listen to the voice of God and look at us with fresh vision.

May we too make the choice to stand up for a generation!

“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.” (1 Samuel 16:11)

In this famous passage we are reminded that God sees beyond the limited view of man.  Samuel is directed by God to anoint the next king of Israel from the humble house of Jesse.  This simple place did not seem like the birthplace of a king, but then again, they never do.  One by one, the sons of Jesse passed before the man of God. Like an episode of a bad reality show, we witness one rejection after another.  ”Is this it?” Samuel said with doubting eyebrows raised.  For Jesse saw his older sons as prime candidates to sit on the throne of Israel.  But God did not have his eye set on Eliab, Abinadab, or Shammah.  God has his eye set on David; for David had his heart set on God.

So with impatience, Samuel tells Jesse to go fetch his youngest son.  Samuel then says to the crowd that has gathered there in the house of Jesse, “We will not sit down till he come hither.”  Wow.  In other words, we are not going to rest until the next generation receives its anointing.  The scripture does not say how far away David was.  It could have been twenty minutes, five hours,  or a day away.  The scripture simply does not say.  However, Samuel was resolute in his stance.  He was standing up for the next generation.

This is the correct posture of Student Ministry.  We are standing up for a generation.  For we too are on a mission by God to pour the oil of God’s anointing on the head of the next generation.  We must not faint.  We must not sit down. We must not grow tired and weary in the middle of our mission.

It may not look like it with the natural eye, but there is a David in your city.  He may be sitting on the pews of your church or he may be strolling down the halls of your local high school.  Nevertheless, he is there, and God’s eye is on him.

So reach like you have never reached.  Preach with passion.  Teach the word of God.  Challenge students to change their world.  Build a team and empower them with the oil of God’s anointing.  You can do it.

But whatever you do, don’t sit down.

Let’s stand up for a generation.