David’s life shows us that God uses the unexpected and the unlikely. Choosing broken people like David to participate in His plan makes His great power known. David’s life is one of tension as the Bible describes him with a heart of integrity and skillful hands, yet his life is also one of murder, adultery, and lies. The tension in David’s life is used by God to point us in the direction of His faithfulness; God does not choose a stereotypical future king, but instead chooses David, working in the field and the youngest of his brothers, to serve and lead. God is in the business of taking fragile people and using them for His glory. David’s story paints a picture of how God shapes people for His plan.

Scripture References

1 Samuel 16:1-13
1 Samuel 15: 24
1 Samuel 15:30
Psalm 78: 71-72
2 Corinthians 4:7

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1. The world looks at outside appearances and behavior, but God looks at the heart. We try to “dress up” what is broken and marred, when we really need to work on the inside first. How have you been working more on the outside than on the inside? In what areas of your life do you need to repent in order to begin focusing on the inside?
2. Saul has a tendency to directly disobey God. He has the “image” of the leader, but he doesn’t have the heart for it — making it easy for him to appear as though he has it all together. However, on the inside, he fears man instead of God and is a slave to himself.. In which areas of your life are you directly disobeying God and instead seeking approval from man? Are you working on the outside because you fear man, or working on the inside because you fear God?
3. We tend to judge the wrong things—someone’s clothes, accent, job, education, house, etc. We elevate ourselves to evaluate other people. How have you seen this take place in your life? What does repentance look like for you in moments where you are tempted to judge others?
4. The seasons of life “in the field” are where God shapes your skills and your heart— they are the seasons of work that are the hardest. The part we don’t like shapes us the most. What is your “field” (health, singleness, job, etc.)? Are you in it now? How can you be in the field without being bitter?
5. God can elevate us whenever He wants. We are not alone because He is with us and has put us where we are. Do you have confidence that God knows where you are?
6. Creating our own plan is not a biblical framework. We should be discovering God’s framework—the life, the path, the vision that He has—and we are supposed to participate in it. Are you living in the freedom and truth that God is working around you all the time and has a plan for you? How do you see God working where He has placed you?

Thoughts to Consider

-If God chose the people who “look the part,” we would see what people are doing rather than what God is doing through them. Because God uses the obscure things we see His power.
-Throughout 2 Corinthians 4:7, we are reminded that the light of Jesus shining through our fragile beings proves that our great power is never of ourselves and always of Him.
-God has a plan. As we listen to His guidance, He shows us what we need to do in the moment, and we can simply follow without knowing what is ahead.
-Don’t be afraid of “flying blind.” It is in your uncertainty where God will work in you and teach you to trust in His direction.
-The line of Jesus is filled with both greatness and brokenness. With Rahab and Ruth, for example, God chose people who did not look the part. These are the kinds of people God often chooses to reveal Himself through.
-When David goes back to the field to serve after being anointed by the Spirit, he humbly goes back to work instead of gaining a sense of entitlement. Like David, we need to learn to be faithful and humble in the field where God has placed us.