BrandedSample

Take a moment and think about your favorite brands, like Nike, Gucci, Apple, etc. If you saw someone wearing that brand or using a product with a certain brand name, what would you typically associate with them? Most of us would likely associate power, wealth, or fame with that person. Being branded can mean either having a brand name or it can also mean being marked. If anyone in the Bible knows what it is like to be branded, it is David in the Old Testament.

In 1 Samuel 16, the priest Samuel shows up in Bethlehem because the Lord had selected one of Jesse’s sons to be the next king of Israel. When Samuel arrived and took one look at Eliab (who maybe had on a pair of Nike Air Force 1s), he thought, surely this was the Lord’s anointed, but he was not. Abinadab stepped forward (maybe wearing a Gucci belt), but he was not the Lord’s chosen one. Then Jesse presented Shimea (who maybe had the latest Apple Watch), and he was not the right one either. After all seven of Jesse’s sons had been presented, the youngest, David, remained, but he was out in the fields shepherding. After David came in from the fields, the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him” (1 Sam. 16:12).

Based on his labels, David’s anointing as king seems completely unexpected. He was the youngest brother in his family, and he was a common shepherd. David had no place in the lineup with his brothers, but the Lord placed David in the fields for a purpose. David’s time as a shepherd prepared him to defeat Goliath, serve as a musician in Saul’s courts, and eventually become the great psalmist we know him to be. Ultimately, the labels and the lineup did not matter because God had marked David.

Whatever labels you wear do not have to define you either because you are marked by God, too. You are God’s masterpiece, and he has a master plan and purpose for your life. If it feels like you are out in the fields when you think you should be first in line, be encouraged: the Lord is preparing you in your hiddenness, and you are being created new in Christ Jesus. Lean into the process and the power of the Holy Spirit at work within you, and watch the Lord accomplish His will through you more than you could ever ask or imagine.