I Samuel 17:31
“When the words which David spoke were heard, they told them to Saul, and he sent for him.”
David felt faith. He saw the threat and had faced tough opponents and came out victorious. His words were those of faith. He didn't apply for the job, but his words were passed on.
Jesus shares a truth in Luke 12:3, "What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops." People talk. We should assume what we are saying to one in private will be spread. If we felt free to say it, even though we had reservations, the next person will usually have fewer reservations. A principle to gain is, if we don't want our comments to be public, don't share them at all.
No doubt Saul put the word out that if anyone expresses the simplest of desires of opposing the giant, pass them on to me. However, while this may be true, God wanted David's words to reach Saul. He had been preparing David for some time.
The Lord knew David was a man after His heart. He had gifted David with writing. He leaves the Psalms behind. God knew that Saul would fail from being a godly leader. David was there as a back up.
The Lord taught him how to care for those committed to him with the family sheep. Psalm 23 details the needs of a sheep: they want, green pastures for eating and resting, safe water sources, a shepherd to restore and care for them, guidance in good ways and a protector. David had been trained to do all that. In this psalm, he saw himself as God's lamb. This is a wonderful application of what he learned on the job to his relationship with the Lord. We are blessed with this today.
While it is a truth that our words have wings, God's sovereignty was demonstrated. He wanted David to fight Goliath, so He made sure the right people heard David and passed on his words. This is the larger truth in this passage. The Lord will guide and use us.
God's sovereignty and his desire to use, bless and honor us is what He wants to do with all of us. Proverbs 3:5 & 6 comes to mind, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." David is an example of this on a high level, but we know the Lord has great things for even "the least of these".
Lord, thank You for Your sovereignty and Your love. You did amazing things with David and want to do them with us as well. Thank You for what You've done and will do.