[1 Samuel 16:11-13]

Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.” “Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes. And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

God uses what you’ve been through to prepare you for what He’s planned for you.

[1 Samuel 16:14-19]

Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s servants said to him, “A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.” “All right,” Saul said. “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.” One of the servants said to Saul, “One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.” So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, “Send me your son David, the shepherd.”

[1 Samuel 17:17]

One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers.

[1 Samuel 17:32]

“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”

[1 Samuel 17:55-58]

As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” “I really don’t know,” Abner declared. “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him. As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand.

God isn’t looking for GREAT people, He’s looking for BROKEN people.

[Philippians 2:6-8] 

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

[1 Samuel 19:10]

Saul hurled his spear at David. But David dodged out of the way, and leaving the spear stuck in the wall, he fled and escaped into the night.

[Ephesians 1:4]

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

[Mark 8:34]

Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.

Following Jesus requires us to drop our spears and pick up our cross.

[Ephesians 2:10]

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.