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1 Samuel 16:18

¹⁸One 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."

Samuel had secretly anointed David to be the next king of Israel. Saul was suffering from an evil spirit that would come upon him. The court knew that soothing music would drive the spirit away. One young man in the court of King Saul knew of David and recommended him. Consider the qualities mentioned regarding David. He was a skillful musician, but he was also a man's man and able to fight. He was prudent in speech. He knew how to control his tongue, which would be essential if he was to work for the king. He had a good presence. This probably means he wasn't melancholy or too boisterous or overbearing. But the final quality was probably the clincher. The LORD was with him. What was it about David's life that would cause someone to say that?

We know from his history and the psalms that he was a person that trusted the LORD. That shows in a number of ways. There is an inner peace that can be seen outwardly on those who truly put their confidence in God. He was fearless because of this trust. With God's help he killed a lion and bear that came to devour his sheep. He wasn't self-confident, but rather, he was God-confident. Though he had been anointed as the next king, he waited upon God to bring it to pass and served faithfully. That is quite a testimony for a young man that was probably in his early teens.

A personal relationship with God will put you where you need to be to learn the things you need to learn. We are often tempted to rush ahead and try to fulfill what God has in store for us, when what we really need to do is be faithful to learn the lessons that prepare us for what is ahead as we serve faithfully where God has placed us. Who would have guessed that the place to train to take the leadership of the nation was right under the jealous king's nose? David was learning the weight of responsibilities that lay ahead, the pitfalls of pride, and an even greater trust in God's ability to fulfill His Word.

Consider: God has placed you where you are to learn from Him and draw near to Him. It may seem like an insignificant life, but remember that He is using our circumstances to draw us close to Him. "The LORD is with him," was David's greatest testimony.