(Read 1 Samuel 16:14-23)
Today I will continue with “Faith and Patience Volume 5 – Greater is Coming!” We are studying the life of David. Let’s get into it.
Friday, we saw how after David was selected and anointed by God to be the next King of Israel, he was later summoned to the palace by the King himself. The King wanted David to serve as his personal musician.
I can only imagine how this went over in Mr. Jesse’s household. First, the King’s personal prophet visited Bethlehem and caused a commotion in the town. The prophet chose to visit Jesse’s house. While there, he anointed David to be the next King of Israel. He did this right in front of his father and brothers. These were the same people who conveniently left him out of the lineup. If that were not enough, after the prophet left they all attempted to go back to their normal lives. David’s brothers went back to doing what they were doing and he was sent back out into the fields. The issue is that you cannot go back to the life you had once God reveals the life He called you into. David’s destiny had been set in motion. So after a few days, a royal messenger knocked on Jesse’s door and said, “Mr. Jesse, King Saul requests that you send him your son David, the shepherd.”
When you think about this, I want you to notice how David did not initiate any of it. David was minding his own business, going about his daily routine, when his brother came to get him for the impromptu coronation ceremony. And later, after David was sent back to his normal life, he was minding his own business again when the royal messenger knocked on the door. God was the initiator. God called David, and He was ready to set things in motion. God was the one who was propelling David into his purpose and it had nothing to do with David’s performance. This had everything to do with God’s unearned grace.
Jesse was not going to turn down the King, so he sent David to Saul. He actually sent his son with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine. Notice how Jesse did not think this was a grace-case. Jesse was focused on performance. He was trying to earn favor with the King when David already had it.
Jesse was not sure what was going to happen and he did not want the King to be upset with him. So he sent gifts, just to make sure (in his mind anyway), that everything would work out fine for David and for his family. This is probably more attention than he had ever received in his life and he was not sure how to handle it. David, however, rolled with it. David was OPEN to whatever God was doing. He did not question the coronation, nor did he question the call from the King. David was ready to enjoy the ride. He went to King Saul and began serving him. This is how we are supposed to live. As God opens doors, we walk through them, even if we don’t fully understand what He is doing.
David got to the palace and started ministering to the King he was destined to replace. This takes a level of humility. He knew he was called to be king, but David served the king he was supposed to replace anyway. Why? Because he knew he had not earned it. He was just following God by faith and seeing how this thing was going to play out.
Whenever the tormenting spirit troubled Saul, David played the harp, the spirit would go away, and Saul felt better. This caused King Saul to send the following message to Jesse: “Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.” The Bible says, “Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor-bearer.” We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. There is a certain level of mystery associated with walking with God.
a) God made plans for us before the world began. He reveals those plans to us in His timing. We only get to know what He chooses to reveal, when He chooses to reveal it.
b) God will reveal Himself, but He does not have to explain Himself. God revealed some things to David, and He started to set things in motion. I am sure David had no clue how his life was ultimately going to pan out. But he was willing to enjoy the ride. He did not fight the process. We can learn from David. Our heart must be OPEN to whatever God is doing, however, He is doing it.
c) As we walk and live by faith, we won’t know everything. God will reveal enough for us to maximize the season we are in. But He will not give us all the answers when we want them. David did not know what was going on, but he knew God was doing something, and he flowed with it. We should do the same.
2. When God opens a door, walk through it with trust and confidence.
a) The prophet anointed David to be King. The Spirit of the Lord came upon David with power from that moment. However, afterward, David went back to his sheep. He had no earthly idea how he was going to end up in the palace. While he was wondering, God was working. God had David’s name in the King’s mouth. Before David realized it, a messenger from the King came and escorted him to the palace. That’s how God is. He is always working. When God opens a door, we could have never opened on our own, we must be willing to walk through it, believing God the entire way. This is part of the life of faith.
b) David had to trust God while he was tending his father’s sheep. While in the field, he experienced hand-to-paw combat with a lion and a bear, and he wound up killing both animals with his bare hands. Now the Lord was leading him in a different direction, one that took him before the King of Israel. David went and did what was asked of him, trusting God the entire way. The same God who kept him on the plains would keep him in the palace. And what was true for David is true for you. Walk through every door the Father opens for you, knowing that He is not leading you to failure! The same God who called you will keep you! He did not bring you this far to fail!
3. David was not stressing about not having all the answers.
a) Many believers today stress because they want to know all the answers before they start. Or they want to know all the answers before they take another step. If God gave you all the answers, you would not need faith.
b) God called David to be King. He did not ask for it. It was not his will. Therefore, how to make it happen was not his bill. David did not stress over it. He did not ask God a thousand questions. He did not say, “Okay, God, how? When? Where? Who?” Many of us do this to God all the time. But David did not. He was like, “Okay, you called me to be King. I am down with it. But I don’t know anything about being a King, and I have no way of making that happen.” So David went back to his old life. Before long, he was summoned out of the plains and into the palace. He did not have to make it happen. He did not have to stress over it happening. David kept his heart open to whatever God wanted to do, and he was ready to walk through every door the Lord opened with a smile on his face. That’s how we are supposed to live.
c) You can lose your joy, worrying about your calling. God calls you to do things you cannot do without Him. If you sit there and worry about HOW you are going to do what you are called to do, trying to figure everything out, you run the risk of getting bitter, because you may have misjudged God’s timing. I know many people who have left a church, or even left the ministry because they believed they were called to do something, but things were not happening FAST ENOUGH for them. Don’t put time limits on God. Although David was called to the palace right away, he would not become King until 13 years later. Instead of getting frustrated about it, David had to learn to ENJOY THE RIDE!
*** If you don’t learn to ENJOY THE RIDE, the thing that is supposed to bring your life the most fulfillment (Your Calling), can actually bring you the most frustration.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, You called me and I did not call myself. Therefore, I expect You to open doors for me that I could not open. I expect You to set things in motion that propel me into my destiny. I expect You to work in my life in ways that far exceed human power and ability. I trust You Father with my whole heart. I will not know everything, and while that is somewhat difficult to accept, I accept the fact that You love me. Because You love me, I know You will not hurt me. You want to bless me and You are looking for faith from me. I live by faith and I am determined to ENJOY THE RIDE! Greater is coming for me! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
