I had a discussion with a friend sometime back and the gist was about King David. To be exact, we discussed about the bravery of David when he was a boy attending to the father’s flock. I have always been excited about the confidence and bravery that David exhibited in the face of danger. Especially as David boasted in the fact that he faced the Lion and the cub of a Bear to defend the flock. (1 Samuel 17: 34 -36)
Yes, there’s no doubt that David did those things but the little argument I had with my friend was based on the time that David performed such acts. Did he show his bravery before or after he was anointed by Samuel as King? (1 Samuel 16: 1 – 13)
Are you also thinking about the answer to the above question? What is your answer?
Well, my friend and I ended up agreeing that it was after the anointing that David was able to show such great works. In fact, we concluded on that day that it was the anointing that enabled him to perform such great works. How true?
But surprisingly, today, my position on that answer has changed. You may be wandering what has changed? Yes, I no longer worry about when the anointing was given but what the anointing was able to change in David’s life.
You would agree with me that King Saul was also anointed to be King, and does that mean that he would have had the courage to kill lions and attack the bear cub? We both know the answer.
Let’s bring this question home, to you and me. What have you been able to do with the anointing of God upon your life? Let us assume that we have been baptized as Christians. The several anointing of oil upon us, what have you or I achieved with it?
David TRUSTED God!
This takes us to the topic of today: The Anointing That Differs! So as we revisit the life of King David, we ask, what made his anointing different from that of King Saul? Do you have a clue? If you do, are you willing to share in the comments below? And If I may ask, are willing to apply that to your life today and make a difference in your environment?
So we have learnt that David was called a man after God’s own heart. If there is anything you must not forget, in fact, this is the only point I wish to discuss, it is that David TRUSTED God!
Trust is a higher level of belief, obedience, love, and service. David abandoned his strength into God’s Strength. In other words, from childhood he learnt to trust God to protect him. And thus he composed psalm 23 : The Lord is my Shepherd.
In David’s trust in God, he learnt to believe God, obey God, worship and praise God, love and serve God. Remember when he challenged Goliath, he retorted that that Goliath was actually dishonoring God, so he (David) was there to silence him (Goliath). (1 Samuel 17: 45) David trusted God to stand up for God.
So back to our topic, The Anointing That Differs! Let’s us not argue further, we have all been anointed at one time or the other, but we do not trust in God. Without our trust in God, the anointing you receive may just be a joke.
Asides King Saul, there was no other King that David could learn from. In other words, he didn’t learn to put his trust in God from from any Israelite King. What I think is that, like every other Israeli youth, David had heard the stories about the great deeds of God and how God had upheld the Israelites from their ancestor Abraham, Issac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua through the judges and then King Saul. Only stories! With these stories, David was able to build a relationship with God. He was confident enough to trust and communion with this God at a deeper level.
With all the stories you have heard about God, from your tenderest days till today, what is your response and relationship with God. Without doubt, you have had a form of anointing or another, but how much of your daily life do you face with much courage and trust in God? Does your anointing differ and bring positive changes around you?
As Christians we are charged to be salt of the earth and light to the world. As anointed of God, like Jesus Christ, we are expected to bring a difference to the lives around us. As Jesus noted when he quoted Isiah 61: 1; cf. Luke 4:18; Luke 7:22
We must show courage, we must beg to differ, we must let truth prevail, we must bring healing, liberty, forgiveness, love and declare the year and favour of the Lord. We have been called to bring the Good News, to spread the Kingdom of God! We have been anointed to be positively different and bring God’s love to all. Let our anointing differ from others!
Peace be with you!