I Samuel 16:18
‘Then one of the young men said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.”’
The Lord's guidance is a wonderful thing. It's done in many fashions. Much of it is done without our knowledge. Before specifics I can think of two types. The influence He does with permission by His children and another type that He does to everyone without permission.
The second type, without permission, is how He runs the world. Kings and politicians think that's their job and some of that is true, but the Lord has an influence over all. Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes."
I don't think this means that God wills evil rulers and is responsible for their actions. For example, God didn't want Israel to have a king, but they would not stop seeking one. In the end, He relented and granted their request. I think of Hitler and Stalin. People get the rulers they want. Maybe not directly, but if the people abandon their godly devotion, then they are indirectly seeking godless rulers. Even though the Lord allows choice, He has an influence.
The other type of God's influence is the type that His children want in their lives. When we come to Christ, we accept Him as Lord and savior. The Lord title means we grant Him permission to work His will in our lives. The longer we walk with Him the more we cooperate with Him. At first, we are just learning this truth. We get fearful and resist.
Most of the relief comes as we get to know Him. God loves us and wants the best for us. Some of our choices have a destructive part to them. The Lord seeks to help us abandon them. Like the prodigal son's father, He doesn't force us, but gives us freedom. He will give us many warnings along the way. This is because of His love. In time many begin to yield to Him. We learn that He was right.
As we trust Him a partnership is formed. The passive aggressive resistance lessens. We usually don't understand at the beginning what purpose things have, but we learn to go along. This is a big deal. We have learned to trust Him.
Another level of trust is that we begin to be thankful for His guidance. We think, "Lord, I'm not sure how this fits in Your plan, but I am so thankful that You do. So, even in this tough time I know that You are going to work it for good (Romans 8:28). Thank You, God, that You seek to do good things with and through me."
This is as it should be. What a privilege that we've got the most brilliant life coach as our guide. He is completely capable regardless of the topic. Like the child of a great person, that one doesn't understand this about their parent. But in time, that realization comes. So, with us. In time we get a better glimpse at the incredible fortune we've got to be His child and to be the recipient of all the wonderful love He gives us and perfect influence He gives us.
David knew this. He had learned much by growing up in the faith. Psalm 23 was penned by many of the lessons He learned while a shepherd. He saw God as the good Shepherd. In today's passage, by no action of his own, he is experiencing another bit of God's guidance. Soon before this, he was chosen in a ceremony to be Israel's king. Now, he is brought to the palace as one of Saul's servants.
David probably had many questions. From the time he was anointed as future king to the time he actually became king was around 13 years. For a time, he had to leave the country. He was on the run as Saul sought to kill him. He enlisted the force of the government to do this. This was a tough time. This was part of the training ground for David.
We'll also go through tough times. We usually don't understand what's going on. I Peter 4:12 says, "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you". This can be our reaction. We can do our best to resolve the situation, but we should be trusting in the process. We say, "Lord, I don't understand this, but could you help get me on the other side. I know You'll use this for my betterment and Your glory."
The next level is to praise Him in and through the process. He will do it. Ephesians 2:10 says, "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." The Lord is a craftsman and we are His product. When we see the label on a product, we know the quality. The Lord's work is the best.
Lord, thank You for Your guidance. Your bring us to great places. Thank You that You guide us in all the ways that You do. Help us to yield and to trust.