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We can learn a lot from King David, even from his experiences as a youth. Here are a few lessons we can take from his life prior to becoming king.

Develop Your Talents

King Saul was having deep spiritual and emotional problems. His servants recommended that he find someone who could play soothing music on the harp whenever he was troubled by an evil spirit. Saul agreed that this was a good idea and asked them to find such a musician.

“Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the Lord is with him” (1 Samuel 16:18). This is a teenager he’s talking about!

Read this carefully!

God is choosing His nobility, His royalty, today. He wants you to be talented and to develop your talents. Do you develop your talents the best you possibly can? Are you preparing to lead the world in that way? That is important to God.

David clearly developed his talents diligently, and surely that must be part of the reason God chose him. David wasn’t some fool who didn’t know anything. He was a very intelligent young man. But first of all, he sought God; and as a result, God kept opening doors for him.

Notice too that this servant called David “a valiant man.” He had courage. He was gutsy like no young man on Earth at that time! He wasn’t afraid to step out and do what needed to be done. God was impressed by how valiant he was. We too need to develop our abilities and have courage when we need to use them.

Be a Positive Person

So Saul sent for David, and David joined Saul’s court. “And David came to Saul, and stood before him, and he loved him greatly; and he became his armourbearer” (verse 21).

Notice: David had a lot of love for people. He loved Saul greatly! And Saul wasn’t such a great person at this time; he was having some serious problems. But David loved him. How about you and me? Do we have a lot of love for God’s people, and God’s leaders, as David did? Are you outgoing and loving toward people? Or do you sit back, maybe looking suspicious or having an evil eye toward people? David was full of love, and really and truly loved being around other people.

Soon Saul sent a message to Jesse saying that David had found favor in his sight (verse 22). David really made a positive impression on people. This is why Saul wanted David around.

“And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him” (verse 23). There is a lesson here too. Clearly we must learn to control our own emotions and stay positive. But if you’re going to be royalty for God, you must also learn to be encouraging to other people. That’s what a leader is. Are you an encouraging person to be around?

When we are negative, we can cause other people to become negative and discouraged. There isn’t any reason for God’s people to be discouraged.

You might contrast these two kings, David and Saul. Saul was depressed and discouraged, and he needed somebody to play music just to drive away his negativity. David was quite the opposite. He used his talents and personality to lift up those around him. He was able to play inspiring, uplifting music on the harp, he loved Saul, and he was outgoing and uplifting—he was a happy person. He was positive. That’s what God wants you to be.

Think about this. If you’re going to help Jesus Christ rule in the World Tomorrow, you have to be living by these laws. You must be a person who has a positive impact on other people. If you are, you can be a great encouragement to them!

Trust God

As a youth, David slew both a bear and a lion that menaced his father’s flock of sheep. And when Goliath the warrior giant menaced Israel’s army, young David told King Saul, “The Eternal that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37). Notice how he said that. He knew God did it, not himself, and he never forgot that.

What problem are you facing that you can’t handle? There isn’t any, young people—there isn’t any! I don’t care how giant the problem is, there’s no problem you can’t handle if you face it the way David did. If you trust God and face your problems in faith, God will deliver you. And, He will ultimately use you like He is going to use King David as a king in the World Tomorrow.

The living God is more than just talk!

I’m not talking about a nice slogan or a little formula you may hear in the world, I’m talking about faith in the living God, trusting God to do great things in your life! Either He does, or He’s a liar. And you know He isn’t, if you have living faith!

How did David express it? “For thou art my hope, O Lord God; thou art my trust from my youth” (Psalm 71:5). Believing God was something David was doing before Goliath, before the bear, before the lion, back in his early teens. Verse 17: “O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.”

God is a magnificent, a powerful, a wonderful, a loving God! Can we declare His wondrous works even from our youth? God wants some young people to stand up and say so with their lives today! And show the world by deeds that God really is that way!

Do you know God’s way of life with all your being? Can you show it? Do you expect God to work miracles in your life? It’s up to you. Your life ahead is what you make it, what God makes it through you. It really is up to you, and the good reports we hear about what you young people are doing is what you have done in faith.

We must always remain humble, of course. David’s faith in God helped him realize just who he was and helped him never get proud or vain. He knew he was just a country bumpkin! But with faith, nothing could stop God from doing awesome things in his life!

Stand in Awe!

David also was dazzled by God. Read Psalm 129:2, and ask yourself, Who am I? Who am I to be a youth in God’s Church? Who am I to be doing a Work for God? Who am I to represent the living God? Why should we be so privileged? Why should we be so honored? With billions of people out there, why us? See beyond getting caught up in what you want right now to this indescribable blessing God has given you! As long as we have that attitude, God’s going to bless us day after day after day.

Like us, David had many faults—many even recorded in the Bible. He was human, after all. Read Psalm 25:7. But God never gave up on him, He never gave up on me, and He will never give up on you; just make sure you never give up on God!

Learn from those faults and David’s triumphs over them. Learn about the way he developed his talents, his positive personality, his trust in God, and his awe for Him. Work hard like David, and in the end people will say of you, you were a young person after God’s own heart!

True Education, May-June 2008