Jonathan and David, a Very Special FriendshipSample

David

“The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.’” (1 Samuel 16:1)

King Saul had been rejected by the Lord God. A new king was needed. He was not democratically elected, but appointed by God Himself. The prophet Samuel was commissioned to anoint this new king with oil as a sign of God's calling.

The successor to the throne was not a well-known personality. His name is not even mentioned at first. He was a son of Jesse from Bethlehem, but it took Samuel some time to find the right son.

When Samuel invited Jesse and his sons to a sacrifice, there were as many as seven great guys lined up. But none of them was the right person. It turned out the man Samuel was looking for, was still in the field with the sheep. Apparently, his relatives did not think it necessary to include him. As the youngest member of the family, he probably didn't count for much. He could look after the sheep while the rest enjoyed a feast. But this youngest son had been chosen by God to be king. His name was David, and he was “a man after God's heart” (see 1 Samuel 13:14). The latter was decisive; not his position within the family or the people.

David was half forgotten by his family. Does that sometimes happen to you ? What does it do to you? Does it comfort you to read that God treated David very differently?

Do you know of other examples, perhaps from your own life, where patience was needed until God intervened? Do these examples help you to trust in a good outcome?