King David; The Armor-bearer

Before David became king over Israel, he was Saul’s armor bearer.

“So David came to Saul and stood before him. And he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.”
‭‭I Samuel‬ ‭16‬:‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

When Saul appointed David as his armor bearer, he didn’t know he was ‘choosing’ his successor- the next king of Israel.

Was becoming Saul’s Armor-bearer a big deal?

Any how you look at it, this was definitely a promotion for David who before this time was tending sheep. Imagine being moved out of a forest or bush into the King’s palace!

But David’s move wasn’t just a promotion, it was indeed a strategic positioning by God, preparing him for his leadership role as king over Israel. Because by being situated in the palace and at close proximity to the king, David could see, quietly learn and understand the workings of kingship.

God was preparing David for something BIG, from a position that someone could have considered insignificant or powerless. This is significant!

Realize that before David appeared in the king’s court to serve, he’d been chosen by God to rule in place of Saul (1 Samuel 16: 1, 12-13). So in essence, God sent novice ‘king’ David to serve and understudy Saul long before David was publicly declared as king.

I cannot help but notice young David’s resume as presented in 1 Samuel 16:18– David was described as prudent in speech, a man of war, a mighty man of valor, skilled in playing the harp and good-looking, who had the Lord’s presence continually.

It is important to note that David wasn’t born with these titles, no, he gained them through hardwork. And that again underscores the point that the process or pathway of preparation for greatness doesn’t necessarily start at the point of greatness- many times there may not be an obvious link between the low-level roles preparation passes someone through for greatness. Yet, the fact that the link isn’t obvious doesn’t mean there’s none.

Lessons

• God’s criteria for leadership is different from man’s (1 Samuel 16: 6-7).
• God prepares His leaders in His own unique way
• Preparation for greatness can start with serving in a seemingly insignificant role
• Service is a springboard to promotion
• When your future or purpose is not clear or obvious to you, be busy working hard at what is obvious to you.
• Diligence in service pays even for small or ‘little’ roles. Do not despise the days of little beginnings (Zechariah 4:10).

AboutGrace Obomanu

Grace obomanu is a Christian Blogger and Founder; 'Grace Obomanu Foundation'. Grace is an inspiring writer who intentionally projects the truth of God's word by sharing simple yet profound truths from the Bible. She writes with a revelational thrust, sharing wisdom, insights relatable to everyday living with particular emphasis on Victorious Christian Living. Her foundation, a non-profit trustee, continues to make impact, adding value to people's lives through outreaches, mentorship, bible teachings and counseling, partnerships. Grace has a diploma in Ministerial Training (with emphasis on Spiritual Leadership from Rhema Bible Training Center Nigeria. She trained as a medical doctor and has years of experience in Health Systems Management. She also holds a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Liverpool.