Character week six: Know what you know. Lessons in the early life of king David.

1 Samuel 16:1–3 NKJV

1 Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” 2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”

1. God has a plan for your life. God’s plan for your life serves His purpose, not mine.

in the west we have the concept that we are the masters of our own destiny.

God’s plan for David was to go from shepherd to king. He was not crowned as king right after he was anointed. there was a processes.

Since its God’s purpose He has a plan.

Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

wherever God has a purpose. God has a plan .

we need to be willing participants in God’s plan.

2. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

1 Samuel 16:4–7 (NKJV)

4 So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Do you come peaceably?” 5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons, and invited them to the sacrifice. 6 So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the LORD’s anointed is before Him!” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”

Just because he qualifies the called doesn't mean that we don’t have to learn our skill and be proficient.

Psalm 33:3 NKJV

3 Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy.

note the use if the word skillful.

of the many things that you can do, what are the two or three things that you do that you would consider “the most skilled at?

if you are called to pastor, preach, or lead then you are going to have to learn to serve from the ground up.

2 Kings 3:11 NKJV

11 But Jehoshaphat said, “Is there no prophet of the Lord here, that we may inquire of the Lord by him?” So one of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, “Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.”

notice that service moved him from armour bearer to prophet.

3. Faithfulness to the task at hand will move you from the peripheral to the Platform.

1 Samuel 16:8–13 NKJV

8 So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 9 Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, “Neither has the Lord chosen this one.” 10 Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. And Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen these.” 11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

He didn’t look the part.

but God called him and anointed him anyway.

the next time see king David AFTER being anointed king we see him running errands for his father.