Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.” One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.” Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him.
— 1 Samuel 16:14–23
Have you ever thought about King David’s first job in the palace? He didn’t start there as king. Actually his first job was to play music for King Saul so he wouldn’t have nightmares. Not exactly glamorous work, but it got him in the palace!
In this passage, we see that David’s musical skill was a key factor in his being chosen and as he served in this role, he gained valuable experience and developed his leadership skills.
This story is a great reminder that it takes time, sacrifice, and hard work to develop the abilities and gifts that we have been given. It’s not enough to simply have a natural talent or anointing, we must put in the effort to hone it and fully walk in our God-given calling. Because God uses the skills and talents we have been blessed with to move us forward in our journey.
It’s interesting that David’s calling was not to be the greatest musician in the world. His calling was to be king, but God used David’s talent to get him where he needed to be. So, it’s important to work on our skills and be ready when opportunities come our way.
Stay focused on developing your skills and talents, even when it feels like the journey is hard. Do your best not to grow weary or lose heart in the process, because if you stay the course, God will use the skills and talents He has given you to guide you towards the destiny He has planned for you.
Prayer:
Dear Lord, we thank you for the reminder in 1 Samuel 16:14–23 that it takes hard work, time and sacrifice to develop the skills and abilities you have gifted us with. Help us to not only focus on our anointing, but also on developing the skills and talents we have been blessed with. Give us the determination and perseverance to put in the work to grow and hone our abilities, so that we may be ready for the opportunities you have planned for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.