God Will Always Guide Us

1 SAMUEL 16:11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the children?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.” Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.”... 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah.

David’s story shows how God’s calling often begins in obscurity and unfolds through a process of preparation rather than instant promotion. Although God had already chosen David as the next king, Jesse did not even consider him worth presenting to Samuel. While his older brothers appeared more qualified by human standards, God rejected them because He looks at the heart, not outward appearance. David was faithfully tending sheep, unseen and overlooked, yet fully known by God. When he was finally called, David obeyed immediately, honoring his father and responding without hesitation. This reveals that God values humility and faithfulness long before public recognition.

After David was anointed and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, his life did not change outwardly right away. The anointing did not place him on the throne; instead, it marked the beginning of God’s training. God sovereignly used King Saul’s distress to bring David into the palace, not as king but as a servant—playing music, carrying armor, and observing leadership firsthand. Through this, David learned how the kingdom functioned and how a king should and should not lead. Yet even palace service was not enough. God still needed to make David known to the people, which would later happen through public trials and victories. David’s journey teaches that God’s purposes unfold in stages: calling, anointing, preparation, and finally fulfillment, all according to God’s perfect timing.

1 SAMUEL 17:14 David was the youngest. Now the three oldest followed Saul, 15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.

David is still living a life of humility and service even after being anointed. Though he had been called by God, he remained the youngest son, moving back and forth between tending his father’s sheep and serving Saul. David was essentially a messenger and errand boy, faithfully obeying his father when he was sent to the battlefield to bring food and check on his brothers. He did not go with ambition or expectation; he simply submitted (hupotasso) to authority. Yet God used this ordinary act of obedience to place David in a moment that would change his life forever.

At the battlefield, David encountered Goliath, who was defying Israel and challenging the armies of God. While trained soldiers and experienced warriors were paralyzed by fear, David saw the situation through faith. He had no idea that God would use this moment to make him known throughout Israel; he simply trusted the Lord and volunteered to stand against the giant. By defeating Goliath, David’s name became well known, but public recognition did not mean immediate readiness to reign. Instead of the throne, David was sent into the wilderness. Saul’s jealousy drove David into years of hiding, hardship, and testing. Even then, David proved his heart when he refused to kill Saul in the cave, choosing to honor “the Lord’s anointed” rather than seize the kingdom by force. This season of restraint and suffering showed that God was shaping David’s character, teaching him patience, submission, and reverence for God’s authority before entrusting him with the throne.

1 SAMUEL 24:10 Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’

David’s life beautifully illustrates the principle of patience, submission, and God’s timing. Even when Saul, the king, pursued him with murderous intent, David consistently refused to take matters into his own hands. When Saul unknowingly walked into a trap, David had a clear opportunity to kill him, and his men even urged him to strike. Yet David refused, saying, “I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed”. David’s obedience reflected his deep respect for God’s authority and his commitment to hupotasso—submission—even under extreme provocation.

This pattern repeated itself, showing that David’s ultimate rise to kingship was not about seizing power prematurely but waiting for God’s appointed time. Through years of hiding, running, and enduring hardship, David grew in character, faith, and dependence on God. During this period, he poured out his heart in the Psalms, expressing his trust, sorrow, and hope in the Lord. Only when God’s timing was perfect—after Saul’s death—did David ascend to the throne at the age of 30, fully prepared to lead Israel. His life teaches a profound truth: to experience God’s best, one must submit to His timing, respect His ordained authorities, and allow hardship to refine and mature character. Most of God’s will is revealed through His Word and the authorities He designates, and obedience in these areas positions us for His perfect plan.

God Guided David

God Guided Joseph through Designated Authorities

GENESIS 37:2 Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth.. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father... 13 Israel said to Joseph, “Are not your brothers pasturing the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them.” And he said to him, “I will go.”

Joseph’s story highlights God’s sovereignty and the importance of faithful submission, even in the midst of hardship. At just seventeen, Joseph faithfully served his father, tending the flocks and reporting honestly on his brothers’ behavior. Though this earned him the resentment and hatred of his brothers, he continued to obey his father’s instructions. When Israel sent him to check on his brothers in Shechem, Joseph went without hesitation, demonstrating hupotasso—honor, respect, and submission to authority.

However, his obedience placed him in danger. His brothers plotted to kill him, but God’s providence intervened, and he was sold to traders who took him to Egypt. There, Joseph was purchased by Potiphar, a high-ranking officer in Pharaoh’s court. What seemed like misfortune and betrayal was actually God’s sovereign plan unfolding. Through these trials, Joseph was being prepared for a far greater purpose—to save many lives during famine. Joseph’s experience reminds us that even when bad things happen to good people, God is at work, using circumstances and authorities to accomplish His plan. Faithful obedience and submission, even when it leads into hardship, position us to fulfill the extraordinary purposes God has designed for our lives.

GENESIS 39:3 Now his master saw that the Lord was with him and how the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, and he has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” 10 As she spoke to Joseph day after day, he did not listen to her to lie beside her or be with her.

GENESIS 41:46 Now Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and went through all the land of Egypt.

Joseph’s experience shows the profound way God develops character through trials and faithful obedience. While serving in Potiphar’s house, Joseph’s integrity and commitment to God were evident—his master recognized that “the Lord was with him” and that everything he did prospered. When faced with temptation from Potiphar’s wife, Joseph refused to sin, saying, “How then could I do this great evil and sin against God?” His obedience was not selective; he honored authority in every area, but he drew the line when commands contradicted God’s will. This demonstrates that true obedience to God sometimes requires resisting human authority, even at personal cost.

Because of his refusal, Joseph was unjustly thrown into prison. Yet this period of hardship was part of God’s refining process. In jail, he encountered the cupbearer and made a faithful prediction of his release, though initially, the cupbearer forgot him. This illustrates that people may forget or overlook us, but God never does. God’s timing is perfect. Years later, Pharaoh’s troubling dreams brought Joseph to prominence, and at the age of thirty, he was elevated to become prime minister of Egypt. Joseph’s story teaches that obedience, integrity, and faithfulness, even in suffering, prepare us for God’s ultimate purposes, and that God’s plans unfold through patience, character-building, and His sovereign orchestration of circumstances.

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