Lip-Syncing to God

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing produced several stories about the Chinese government’s propaganda campaign, making their country look as nice as possible for the cameras. But the worst example of this was when it was discovered that they used a young girl for their image. Nine-year-old Lin Miaoke sang a beautiful rendition of “Ode to the Motherland,” which led to an outburst of applause from an impressed audience. Later the truth came out: Miaoke was only lip-syncing. Seven-year-old Yang Peiyi pre-recorded the song so that Miaoke could act as if she were the one singing. The truth is awful: Peiyi had the better voice, but Miaoke had the better face. A Communist Party official made the decision to pull the fast one because Peiyi had lost her front teeth, and they had not fully grown back in.

Think about what a terrible message that sent to those young girls about their image. Miaoke was made to believe that her looks are so important that, even if she did not possess the talent needed, she would still get to go on stage and hear the applause. Peiyi was made to believe that, no matter how talented she may be, her looks are more important. If you aren’t pretty enough, according to the opinion of someone else, then nothing else matters.

That superficial evaluation is a bad message, but there is another point that should not be overlooked. We tell people it is not what is on the outside that matters, but what is on the inside. That is also true of spiritual matters. Just as the Chinese government tried to impress the world with what was on the outside, people today try to impress God and others by the outward appearance. They think that going to church and dressing their best, saying things like, “God bless you” to everyone, or sounding like Shakespeare when they pray will give the appearance that they are better Christians or closer to God. But if those things do not come from a pure heart, they are nothing more than propaganda pieces for others’ benefit.

God cannot be fooled, so just be yourself. If you are doing things to make yourself look more spiritual, you are just lip-syncing to someone else’s voice. When Samuel was looking to anoint the future king of Israel, he was looking for someone big and strong, someone who looked the part. But the Lord told the prophet, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature…for the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7).” God sees your heart already, so there is no point in pretending.      

David's Harp

The events recorded in the first part of I Samuel 16 are familiar to most people who have spent time in church. Even though Saul was the king of Israel, this chapter explains how God used the prophet Samuel to anoint the future king. Samuel was told he would find the next king in the house of Jesse in Bethlehem, but he wasn’t given a name. Jesse proudly paraded his firstborn son Eliab by the prophet, but God made it clear that Eliab had not been chosen. Jesse continued with his second son, down to his sixth son, but each time the prophet rejected the candidate.

Samuel asked if there were any other sons, and Jesse told him about his youngest son who was tending to the sheep. That seventh son, David, would go on to become Israel’s greatest king. An important lesson is demonstrated here, that “the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart (v.7).”

But that is not the end of the story. Before the chapter ends we read that God sent a “troubling spirit” to Saul so that the only thing that could soothe him was music. The king wanted the best harpist in the kingdom to be brought to him, and someone in the court knew that a young shepherd in Bethlehem happened to play a pretty mean harp. David, the future king, was brought to the palace to play, but he would no doubt get a good education on the life of a king while he was there. Saul couldn’t know David was his replacement or he would have killed him, and David couldn’t be trained otherwise. God used a harp to put David in the place where he needed to be.

I can imagine young David trying to learn his instrument; I’m sure he got frustrated over wrong chords, or had to push through with painful callouses on his fingers. Because he stuck it out he allowed himself to be in position for God to use him. God took something as mundane as a harp and used it to change David’s life. Maybe there is something in your life that God is going to use to bring about something good; you won’t know if you don’t stick it out even when it gets hard. Be faithful in all the small things, and God just might use them to do something great.

Loyalty

King David is perhaps one of the most well known and beloved characters in the Bible. But a decade before he wore the crown his life was put in danger. The current king, Saul, threw a javelin at David on at least three occasions, but each time David escaped death by a step. Saul also sent David to battle several times, hoping that David would never return. After David’s popularity only increased, Saul ordered his son Jonathan and some of their soldiers to kill David.

The problem for Saul was that Jonathan and David were best friends, and Jonathan helped spare David’s life. Jonathan was the prince of Israel, but he knew that God had chosen David, not him, to be the next king.

How easy would it have been for Jonathan to conspire with his father, off the future king, then await his turn on the throne? Jonathan might be the best biblical example of loyalty and true friendship that we have; even Jesus’ closest disciples deserted and denied Him, but Jonathan risked his own life so that David could live and one day be his king.

Do you display that same type of loyalty as Jonathan? 

“…the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” I Samuel 18:1

Losing Control

Many people are familiar with the life of Israel’s first king Saul. Many people know that his rule was not a good one, that he was jealous, dishonest, slow to act, and he never fully put his trust in God. Because of the way he lived he lost control of his kingdom in only his second year as king.

In I Samuel 15 God uses the prophet Samuel to tell the king that God has rejected him, and that the kingdom will be ripped from his hands (v. 23,28). Where did Saul go wrong in just two short years? Was it when he took the credit for his son’s military victory, or when he offered a sacrifice that only the priest was allowed to (and then lied about it)? Was it when he ordered a mandatory fast and threatened to kill anyone who broke it, or when he failed to carry out God’s orders against the Amalekites (and then lied about it)?

I don’t believe that there was one single offense that caused Saul to lose control. Instead, I believe this rejection was the culmination of two years worth of poor decisions. After each infraction he received a warning from the Lord, but we never see him heeding that instruction.

It is important that as Christians we remember that God is not out waiting for us to commit a single mistake so that He can pour out His wrath. Make no mistake about it—His wrath will come if we continue in disobedience. But if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9).

You probably won’t lose control of your life with one bad decision. After any bad choice, repent, and get back on the straight and narrow. 

Competing for Your Attention

So many people are vying for your attention. I am asking for it as you read this; your teachers, parents, spouse, children, boss, and friends want your undivided attention. Companies pay big money to get you to notice their product through their advertising on TV, billboards, magazines, and yes, even Facebook.

We have to decide what we are going to give our time and attention to for each 24 hour day. God also wants you to give Him time and attention. In I Samuel 3 God called to Samuel by name, and the response from this 12 year old priest in training was, “Speak, because your servant is listening.”

I hope that is your response when the Lord calls. However, too often our response is something like, “Not now God, my show is on.” “Hang on God, I just got a text.” “Wait God, the World Series is starting.” “Not now God, it’s late and I am going to bed.”

God wants your attention but He isn’t going to compete with your iPod for it. He wants you to choose to be responsive to Him. Put away the distractions and, and like Samuel, tell the Lord you are all ears.

What is He trying to tell you?

“And the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, ‘Samuel, Samuel.’ Then Samuel answered, ‘Speak, for thy servant heareth.’”

1 Samuel 3:10