Greetings again my Brethren. This month my friends we will continue to look at the divine providence so brilliantly displayed in the life of David by looking at a few of the characteristics that connect David’s life to the divine call on his life. There are ten characteristics we can see that connected David’s life (with other men of God under His providence I might add) as a web that God weaved to ensure success in the end for David. Now the underlining truth we must not miss here is if God (and He did) did it for David then He will do it for us, because God is not a respecter of person. Peter tells is, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: 35 But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.” (Acts 10:34-35) Often we think God uses someone because they are special to God well that is not true. We see here fearing God and working righteousness is the price we pay to be accepted by God and along with the acceptance comes being used by Him. We all are special to God (sinners and Saints alike) if God uses us it is because we have chosen to walk in the way God has for us to go, the way God has projected for us before the foundations of the earth was laid. Paul tells us in Ephesians, “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:” (Ephesians 1:4) We all have been called, we all have a plan for our lives that God has ordained and through providence God will make it happen if we just participate with him in it. Okay let us look at a few of the ten characteristics in David’s life. The first one is David was born into providence. In Ruth we read, “And the women her neighbours gave it a name, saying, There is a son born to Naomi; and they called his name Obed: he is the father of Jesse, the father of David.” (Ruth 4:17) Here we see the seed of David can be traced back to Boaz and Ruth a humble, but royal couple that God has blessed. For nine generations God protected the blood line of David. And then God did not stop protecting that blood line in which Jesus was born. In the field and in the wilderness God protected David against the bear and the lion until one day David was chosen by God to replace Saul at the tender age of 16 anointed King of all Isreal, but became King at age 40 some 34 years later. The second characteristics we see is David was chosen to be King in providence. We see this in 1 Samuel, “And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14) That man was David, “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” (Acts 13:22)Please notice God’s qualifications to be king was not David’s size, wisdom, strength, nor battle skills, but having a heart after God. God does not do things like man does. One would think skills and abilities to be king would require the candidate to be big, strong, wise, knowledgeable, a warrior in battle (maybe like Saul), well not so in God. God values a righteous heart over brains and brawn. And the third and last characteristics we will look at this month is David was called in providence. In 1 Samuel 16: 1-13 we find David’s call to be king. Again please know this call on David’s life was God’s plan for David before David was even born and it happened not because God wanted it to happen, but because David wanted it to happen even unconsciously not knowing God’s plan, but consciously knowing what God is looking for in a righteous person. And if we have such a heart God will use us beyond our abilities. We see Samuel and God at work, “And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.” (1 Samuel 16:12-13) David the youngest and smallest son of four a sons anointed a king. Not much of a coronation for a king, but God is not into all of that “look see pigeon” and showmanship He is into faithfulness, dedication, and obedience all of which David exhibited and God saw.
