Romans 8:28 (NLT) - _"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."_
*DAVID: THE PAIN OF THE WILDERNESS*
When Samuel came to the house of Jesse to anoint a king, Jesse presented all his sons except David. It was only when the Lord prompted Samuel to ask, "Are these all your children?" that Jesse remembered there was a David somewhere in the bush.
What kind of father forgets his youngest son, a teenager, at such a crucial moment? And not only that, he left him alone in the wilderness to tend sheep in a terrain filled with wild animals.
There is a theological thought that David was a rejected child. Some scholars posit that his mother may not have been the same as his brothers', and that he might have been a product of an extramarital affair.
This argument is strengthened by David’s own words in Psalm 27:10: _"When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up."_
His parents may not have been on good terms because of the circumstances surrounding his birth. While we may not have all the facts, we can safely assume that all was not well in David's family.
It is not normal to forget a son until you are asked. And no right-thinking father would send a teenage boy into the wild to face lions and bears alone.
David surely felt the pain of rejection before writing Psalm 27:10. What he did not know was that his rejection and wilderness experience were actually his training ground. In the bush, fighting lions and bears, he was receiving military training for Goliath.
Later, his own brothers mocked him when he attempted to face Goliath. King Saul threw a spear at him. He lived in caves. But the cave became his classroom. In that cave, he wrote psalms that we still pray with today. His pain left a generational imprint in the sands of time. The Messiah Himself came through his lineage.
A soldier does not train in a 5-star hotel. He trains in the bush under the rain, carrying heavy loads. I have watched military drills; they are tough. I once thought of joining the military until I experienced a three-week orientation camp. I changed my mind.
Your hardship is God training you for the weight of the crown you will wear. If David had been pampered in the palace, Goliath would have killed him.
You may have been rejected by family and friends. Your background may be similar to David’s abandoned in the wilderness of life. But your pain will not go unnoticed by God.
Instead of whining and complaining, start writing your psalms. Instead of murmuring, start building capacity to face your Goliath by killing the bears and lions in front of you. Be assured, the next phase is the throne.
Father, help me to see what You are doing in my life in this season, and help me to align properly with Your purpose. In Jesus' name, Amen.