1 Samuel 16:1-13
When God sent Samuel to Bethlehem, it didn’t look like a moment that would change history. It began with a quiet journey, a simple visit to a small town, and a family gathering that was almost an afterthought. There were no crowds or fanfare. Just a prophet, a worried heart, and a family of sons lined up in a modest home.
As Samuel looked over Jesse’s sons, he saw strength, confidence, and kingly appearance, but God whispered, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature (…) for the Lord does not see as mortals see.”
And when the youngest – the one left out in the field with the sheep – was finally brought in, God said, “Rise and anoint him; for this is the one.”
There’s something sacred about that scene. God’s great work doesn’t always unfold in the halls of power or in the moments we think are important. More often, it happens quietly, in the places we overlook, in the people we underestimate, and in the ordinary rhythms of our daily lives.
Maybe God’s quiet work is happening in you right now, not in the grand plans or public achievements, but in the quiet patience you’re learning, the kindness you offer without recognition, or the small acts of faith that no one sees.
The story of David’s anointing reminds us that holiness can grow in simple soil, in the fields of everyday life. God’s call finds us where we are, doing what we do, and gently invites us to see that even the most ordinary moments can become sacred ground.
As you continue through this week, maybe living into the Sacred Rhythm from Monday, here are some questions to help you reflect.
- Where might God be quietly at work in your daily routines?
- Are there “fields” in your life that you’ve overlooked, places where holiness might already be blooming?
- How can you open your eyes to see the sacred in the ordinary this week?
Let’s pray:
God of quiet callings and gentle nudges, help us to see the holiness that surrounds us, in the people we meet, in the work we do, and in the ordinary moments we often rush past. Open our eyes to your quiet work among us, and help us trust that even in the smallest things, your love is at work renewing the world. AMEN
