After Samuel annointed David, the Holy Spirit came upon him and filled him. To operate in positions of leadership and influence, we need the Spirit of God to guide us otherwise we will mislead people and ourselves.
Note when the Spirit of God left Saul, he was haunted by evil Spirits and led Israel astray. David full of the Spirit always consulted God and never lost a battle.
We need leaders who are full of the Spirit to know which way to go because the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God (1Corinthians 2:11). You will never stray with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
“Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” Romans 8:27 NKJV
Not a warrior. Had never been to war unlike his brothers
Was the shepherd of sheep.
He was overlooked in his family and when Samuel asked Jesse for his sons to come and sacrifice, no-one thought of including David — He must have been insignificant to his family.
When Samuel saw his brothers, they were more deserving to be kings yet the Lord chose David because He looks for what is in the heart, not outward appearance.
You might not have much now. No plan. No opportunities. No future according to your eyes. Everything is not working out and it seems you are never awarded the same opportunities as others— that is not what God sees when He looks at you. The right door will be opened and you will see yourself sitting in places you never dreamt you could be at.
2nd Corinthians 3:5 – our qualification comes from God, not anyone else.
David was annointed as a teenager and he did not go around telling people that he was to be the next king. A lot of people have lost their destinies because they are busy telling people before it is the right time and whilst the seed is still being planted, the enemy comes and removes it.
It took years for David to become the king. He did not doubt God because of all that was happening around him. Saul was after his life yet he was promised that he would be king.
1Samuel 24 David gets a chance to kill Saul but spares him because he would not touch what the Lord is anointed. In as much as he was annointed too, it was not yet time for him to overthrow Saul and his time had not come. People loved David more, they would sing praises of how he slew tens of thousands and Saul thousands. He could have used the popularity to gain the throne.
He knew that the Lord was the one who had annointed him and he was going to be responsible in clearing a way for him and setting him as king.
We take control of our own destinies without letting the one who annointed be the centre of everything. We are not ready to relinquish control and surrender everything to him. Chapter 31 he dies on his own without David getting his hands dirty.
Abraham did and gave birth to Ishmael.
Finally, he becomes king after 15 plus years…
The whole of Psalms expresses his trust in God. Psalms 31 Psalms 25 Psalms 23 Etc
I found a very fascinating character in the bible and I will take the next week to post lessons I have learnt from him. My hope and prayer is that you benefit just as much as I have.
The man after God’s own heart
His story is mostly found in the scritures below; 🌱1 Samuel 16 upto 2nd Samuel 24 🌱Psalms 🌱 the whole bible
Let’s do a brief background on David.
King David was the second king of Israel, reigning from around 1010 to 970 BCE:
Born in Bethlehem, Judah
Youngest son of Jesse
Anointed by Samuel as future king (1 Samuel 16:13)
Served as a shepherd and musician
Played the lyre for King Saul
Defeated Goliath, gaining popularity (1 Samuel 17)
Fled from Saul’s jealousy, becoming a leader of outcasts
Became king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4) and later united Israel
Established Jerusalem as the capital
Brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6)
Committed adultery with Bathsheba, leading to Uriah’s death (2 Samuel 11)
Legacy:
Wrote many Psalms, expressing his faith and emotions
Established a dynasty, with his son Solomon succeeding him
..and said to Him, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” Matthew 11:3 NKJV
Should we look for another?
Backstory John, the cousin of Jesus, was born to parents of advanced age, a miraculous birth that heralded a divine purpose. His mission was clear: to prepare the way for the Messiah. He was the very one who baptised Jesus, proclaiming Him to be the Son of God. From the womb, John recognised Jesus’ divinity, an unwavering certainty that had never been in question—until now.
Imprisoned and awaiting an uncertain fate, John sent his disciples to inquire of Jesus: Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect another? This was a striking question from a man who had once been resolutely convinced of Jesus’ identity.
But who else was John expecting? And why did he ask if Jesus was the One ‘coming’ when He was already present?
John was a devoted student of the prophet Isaiah. He had meticulously studied the Messianic prophecies and anticipated their fulfilment in a specific manner. Yet, Jesus was not manifesting in the way John had envisioned. His miracles, teachings, and approach did not align with the grandiose expectations John had drawn from scripture. And so, in the midst of his suffering and unmet expectations, doubt crept in. He began to wonder if another might come—one who would fulfil his preconceived notions of the Messiah.
This is a struggle that transcends time. We, too, wrestle with doubt—not necessarily because we lack faith, but because reality often deviates from our expectations. We meticulously construct visions of our lives, delineating each milestone with precision. We chart out the trajectory of our successes, relationships, and aspirations, believing we understand how events should unfold. Yet, when reality takes a different course—when opportunities do not materialise as we imagined or outcomes fail to align with our ideals—we grow disillusioned.
Faced with this dissonance, we console ourselves with the belief that another is coming.
Another opportunity. Another alignment. Another relationship. We dismiss what is before us because it does not meet the standards dictated by our intellect and desires. We tell ourselves that something greater, something more in keeping with our vision, must be on its way.
But in doing so, we risk overlooking the beauty of the present moment. We become trapped in an endless pursuit, forever yearning for what is next, never fully embracing what is. Contentment eludes us because we are convinced that what we have now is insufficient.
Pause. Be in the moment. Do not allow doubt to obscure your purpose or diminish the value of the present. Strive to make the best of what you have now rather than longing for an idealised future. Confidence in oneself and in God’s divine orchestration is paramount. If something is not unfolding as expected, it is not necessarily because it is wrong; rather, it may not yet be the appointed time. All things work together for good—therefore, what is before you now is, indeed, the best thing for this season.
John found himself in the depths of a prison cell, awaiting execution. Do not let your faith be shaken by the trials of your own confinement—be it physical, emotional, or circumstantial. God remains sovereign in the storm. His presence is unwavering, His purpose unchanging. Do not search for alternatives that were never meant to be. Instead, fix your gaze upon Jesus. A delay is not a denial, and an unfulfilled expectation does not equate to abandonment.
Jesus is already here. He is with us. And there is none other.
Today is the day I finish my Articles. I am so happy that you’ve been with me through this stressful and not so exciting journey. You’ve been so patient with my pettiness and my not so okay days. I’ve made me proud and I am so excited. What we’ve waited for, has come to pass.
Mostly, I’m grateful for you. I saw you way back and you’re still the one who chose to love me next (this is me writing on the 28th of July 2023 about you, you should be grateful) I’ve been so intentional with my life and I can’t wait for what awaits us next. I’m greening right now.
My next post will be something educational, I swear.
Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.’ ”
And their father said to them, “Which did he go?” For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” And he said, “I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ” He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.) So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ” So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. I Kings 13:7-9, 12, 14-24 NKJV
Here is a prophet of God, he was just said the man of God, no specific name. He was sent to deliver the word to Jeroboam from the Lord. Jeroboam was the king who had been given 10 tribes from Israelites after Solomon defiled God by going after the gods of his wives, so his 10 kingdoms were taken away after his death and only 1 left in his family.
He was told specific things not to do. He had received strict instructions: 1. Not to return from the way he came 2. Not eat bread in Bethel. 3. Not drink water in Bethel.
All he needed to do was abide by them and take the next exit out of the city, avoid people, distractions and he is done.
Verse 14 Why was he sitting under an oak tree and not on his way?
I guess he was still thinking of the gifts the king had promised him. Lol. Anyway, how many times have we missed our mark because we are lingering in the wrong place? The very same place that we need to escape from. He had already obeyed verse 10 when he decided to leave the place.
We said yes to God a lot of times to His will. We’ve walked right all this while. We have obeyed. We have been faithful children and have always walked in the right with God. Why then are you staying in the very same place that you need to escape from? Why are you still keeping the wrong company? Why are you adjusting in the environment that you aren’t supposed to be in in the first place.
Psalms 1: 1 Blessed is he who does not sit in the company. Why was the man of God sitting then? He should have been on his way already but he chose to sit. To indulge them one more time.
The word came as they sat at the table and had not ate anything yet, only after eating did he have his donkey saddled to meet his death. I am guessing he had to finish a whole meal after receiving all that. Perhaps he should have repented and asked for another chance, but the dude sat through the whole meal. How many times do we ignore warnings? We turn a blind eye to what is right and we keep on doing the same disobedience over and over again. We normalise most sins (corruption, bribery, fornication, lies, thefts, disobedience, envy, greed, etc). We continue in our sin instead of repenting.
We have lost a lot of people who have been walking right all this while because they chose to relax, to enjoy the company one more time. What things are you still holding on to that you should have let go already? What idols are you keeping?
Verse 15, He then met another prophet who told him that he had to come eat at his house. I am still baffled as to why a prophet would lie and entice the man of God to go with him..
Hold on, haven’t you met people who say for example, God has told me you’ll be my wife/husband. (Have met lots of those people.) God has told me this over your life and you clearly know that’s not how God has revealed it to you. Others have been told heartbreaking things to break up families, witchcrafts, and all sorts of things. Wait! It’s what someone else says the Lord told him or her which is in contradiction to what you received from God. (The reason why it is so much important to hear from God as an individual.)
Our God is not an author of confusion. When he speaks, He confirms His word and doesn’t go against it. He establishes it. The bible says test every spirit. I guess the man of God had not heard that before, smirks.
It’s not every word that is said over you that is from God. Nowadays, people are so lazy to seek God and hear for themselves, we rather are ready to say, ‘I receive and yes prophet.’ We are always receiving everything. The man of God could have easily asked God if there was a change of plans, but he did not.
A prophet once said to me way before I went to varsity that he saw me entering a room with a number on the door and that he saw a dark guy who forced himself on me and raped me and he was seeing me crying in the vision. I spent my whole varsity years so afraid, I would stay away from all dark guys and took a fancy to lighter guys instead because I was so scared of being raped. If you were dark and was in University residence, that was my cue to runaway. Now all the dark guys know why I would run from them. It must’ve have protected me, I do not know, but I lived my life in fear than in total liberty because I never consulted God about the issue. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
I’m not saying there is anything wrong in receiving the word of God from other people, no. My point is; did you seek out God on your own? Have you talked to your God? Has He spoken over your life? Has He given you the answers?
The man of God was now in the company of the people he was supposed to have removed himself from. He indulged them and led to him eating the same food he was not supposed to.
Was it because he had stayed for a long time in their company that he thought what God had instructed him has changed? Or he must have expected the message of him not eating and drinking in that city to relate to the king’s home?
What has happened to us children of God?
You lost your voice, your self, your word because you got comfortable. You lost who you are because of what someone voiced over your life. You lost direction because another person gave you another direction to follow. You lost you because someone told you who you should be.
The world is telling us who we ought to be, but is that what God says you are? Is that your word? We lost God’s voice overtime because we heard another voice that was convincing and enticing. You’ve kept everything pure, life well lived and it took just one word for you to lose all that.
1Kings 13: 21-24
• I want us to pray for God to voice over our lives. • Let’s pray for God to give us the strength to move from certain positions in our lives. • Pray and say God I know you spoke a word over me and along the road, I lost it. Pray that He restores it to you. • Ask for forgiveness for all the things you didn’t listen that He has instructed you. • Let’s cry out to God for each other for people we’ve lost because they decided to get comfortable in wrong places. Intercede on behalf of others that God brings them to conviction and they return back. Like the prodigal son’s father, he welcomed him right back. God is welcoming everyone back. He says he would rather go after 1 sheep and leave the 99 because that’s just how important you are and how much he loves you. Pray for your brothers, sisters that God convicts them. This isn’t just about us, it’s about all the lost sheep.
And you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “No, but we will have a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.” And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he repeated them in the hearing of the Lord. So the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed their voice, and make them a king.” And Samuel said to the men of Israel, “Every man go to his city.” I Samuel 8:18-22 NKJV
The Israelites cried to God to give them a king. They had seen nations around them with kings and they thought that having a king would establish them to be a nation. They already were a nation, but because they were surrounded by other nations doing and having what they did not have, they thought it best to request one too. They were coming out of Egypt where a Pharaoh was the ruler and they liked how it was done before, having a physical person they could see as their leader, fighting for them, judging them.
The people wanted someone to fight for them, go before them. The Lord had said that He would be all that for them but they chose to forget that and did not want God but a mere man to rule over them. They were warned of all that could happen but still chose to have a man rule over them all because they wanted to conform and be like other nations. How many times have you been warned of how things would pan out but because you are hellbent on wanting things to go your way, you ignore all that and focus on what you think is best? It’s like telling a love struck person to see all the red flags, the only colour they will know is pink. All reason dies down and you follow your evil heart.
Saul, the chosen king ends up taking the best land, the citizens to work for him in his household, taking men to war, tribute to the king, etc.
When you choose for yourself and the Lord is not in it, best believe that you will indeed cry because that is not what Lord has set for you. It might seem like it is the best thing now but later the true colours will show. Be it a wrong relationship turned to marriage, wrong career and life choices, wrong decisions. This is what happens when you want to fit in and be like the world. Everyone else is doing it. Fashion trends, music and video trends, tattoos, piercings, etc. You then compromise and want the same for you but is it what God wants for you? We ultimately have different purposes/destinations and the way we get to our destination is different.
I have heard stories of ladies/ men having been warned not to marry a certain person but still went ahead to, are now living in a marriage that they detest and others end up getting divorced/ separated. Something that could have been avoided had they trust God and let His way prevail.
No matter how annointed and chosen you might be, because it is not the right thing for you, you can still cry.
Learn to trust God and focus on Him only. Do not be enticed by what you see outside, trust His plans over your life. Be content with what you have. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind and do not be conformed to the systems of this world. Take heed to warnings.
Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.” I Samuel 23:11-12 NKJV
Let us backtrack a bit; David was running away from Saul. Saw this town where the Philistines were attacking called Keilah and helped them to fight off the enemies resulting in them winning the war. Mind you, he had inquired of the Lord whether to help these people and had said yes, so it was all in God’s plan.
Days down, Saul discovers that he was there and he was told this. Well, for most people, you would assume because God told him to help them out, then they will help him out in return and that is where God has placed him to be. No doubt we would wait and stand in bold confidence that nothing can happen to us.
But ooh David, he inquired of the Lord again as to what he should do. Whether to stay in that city and that he would be protected and leave, but God said they would not. Which brings me to this;
– not everyone we helped will help us in return. – always consult on the Lord for your next move. – do not conclude that God said this first, so it will apply again for the second time. – do not trust in men. – people will always be people, they do what benefits them the most. – one good turn does not equate to deserving another.
– get the whole answer If David had stopped to seek God’s will until Saul came down, he would have assumed that since he won the Philistines war and had helped the city people, then he will win and be assisted too the same way he did them, but he consulted again to¹¹ get the whole picture of things.
– choose your battles. David chose to leave the city and not subject the people under war and resulting in many deaths. He knew it was his battle alone and did not have to let many more people suffer. The priests had just been killed by Saul for treason and helping David escape, ‘Ahimelech’ (who had given David Goliath’s sword and word from God on where to God.)