1 Samuel 16:16-18
16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
17 And Saul said unto his servants, Provide me now a man that can play well, and bring him to me.
18 Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him.
Now that’s not a bad resume, is it? He’s a skilled musician; he’s a man of valor; he’s a warrior; he has control of his tongue; he’s handsome; and the Lord is with him.
One important thing this says to me is that you should never discount anything in your past. God can pick it up and use it in the most incredible ways. You never know when something that happened years ago will open a door of opportunity into the future.
That’s precisely what happened to David. There he was all alone, plucking away on his instrument, out in the fields of Judea. He’d never even met Saul, yet he’s ultimately to be Saul’s replacement. Get that! So God works out a way to bring them together—music! Soon David receives a message that says, “Saul wants to see you.” It’s incredible how it all falls together. I never cease to be amazed at how perfectly God weaves His will together without our help!
Even though Samuel had anointed David earlier, Jesse let him go back with the sheep. And now a runner comes from the king, saying, “Saul wants to see your youngest son.” So Jesse releases David, but first he loads him down with gifts for the king. Now David trudges along with a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine and a goat, and his stringed instrument slung over his shoulder!
David didn’t know it, but he was getting ready to enter boot camp on the road to becoming a king. That’s the way God’s program works. You may think some skill you learned or used years ago is lost, or that you’ve wasted all that time doing whatever, but don’t you believe it. God can use what may seem to be a most insignificant part of your past and put you in exactly the right place to use that particular gift or skill.
That’s the way it was with David. He never once said to Saul, “I’m gonna take your place, pal.” Never once did he pull rank on Saul. He was never jealous of or pushing for the king’s position. He wasn’t presumptuous. He’d been anointed, but he continued to let the Lord open all the doors. Remember, David was a man after God’s heart.
Never discount anything in your past. God can still use it in incredible ways.
— Charles R. Swindoll
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