Week 42:October 18-24, 2026 - The Last Option

This week’s daily readings:

October 18-24, 2026

This week’s devotional:

The Last Option

by Nicholas Ambrose

Scripture:

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.” 

— 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) 

Reflection: 

On April 16th, 2000, a quarterback was drafted into the New England Patriots in the sixth round as the 199th overall pick. Every year, the National Football League holds a draft for each team to choose new players to play for them. These players are the best of the best at the colleges they have played for, and those who score nearest the top of the list are the most highly sought after by these professional football teams. 

That may be true for some of the players who were drafted that spring in 2000, but not for a young man named Tom Brady. He was overlooked by many scouts for having a smaller, lanky frame and slow running speed compared to many other quarterbacks who have imposing statures, blazing speed, and booming arm strength. Though his appearance caused many to overlook him, the scout and head coach of the Patriots had a more promising evaluation of Tom. They saw his mental toughness, accuracy, and refusal to fold under pressure. Despite him seeming like an otherwise irrelevant pick to many, he told the owner of the New England Patriots during his rookie year, “You’ll never regret picking me.” And he came to prove this statement true when he was eventually put in as the starting quarterback and went on to win six Super Bowl championships for the New England Patriots throughout his professional career.

When the Prophet Samuel was told by God to go to Bethlehem to anoint a king over the people of Israel, he had some ideas in his mind of what this king would look like. When he went to the house of Jesse to choose one of his sons to be king, he thought that the tallest and oldest son would surely be chosen. After Samuel thought this, God told him, “That’s not the one I’m looking for; don’t look at his appearance and his height. I know that’s how people work—they look at the outward appearance—but that’s not how I work. I look at the heart.” 

Samuel’s assumptions were shattered after seven of Jesse’s sons passed by him to see whether God would choose one of them to be king. It was the youngest son—David—who was eventually brought in and anointed as king, and God’s spirit was powerfully with him from that point on. While David himself did have a desirable appearance, it was his heart that God saw and cherished. Much like Tom Brady, David’s outward appearance and status as the youngest and smallest caused Samuel and his own family to overlook him. David wasn’t even in the room for discussion when the sons of Jesse were being evaluated by Samuel; he was out tending the sheep! Yet, God helped Samuel to see with eyes of faith what our human eyes often overlook. 

Do you worry about your own appearance to others, or do you judge people by petty standards? What is one area of your life where you need to examine what’s deeper in the heart, the way God sees?

Prayer:

Dear God, it’s so easy for us to obsess over things like physical appearances and performance and miss having hearts that desire to please you. Lord, help us to take a deeper look so that we may love as you love, and see what you see. Thank you for choosing us to be your people, though we may not be the first option by the world’s standards. Lord, we know our worth is in you and what Christ has done for us and we thank you, in Jesus’ name. Amen