Week 24: The Journey From the Field to the Palace
S: 1 Sam 16:11-13 & 2 Sam 5
11 And Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all the young men here?” Then he said, “There remains yet the youngest, and there he is, keeping the sheep.”
And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and bring him. For we will not [e]sit down till he comes here.” 12 So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with [f]bright eyes, and good-looking. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is the one!” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah.
O: Reading the stories of David’s journey from shepherd to king reminds me of a story of a mentor and close friend. This man always knew his purpose was to serve God in media and music. He took courses and training in music and business, learned and practiced songwriting and eventually went on to become an internationally renowned worship leader. At a high point, he was travelling across continents to lead worship on the biggest platforms you could imagine. But even after this, there were periods where while the ‘gig’ calls fell in number, he was still working on his craft, writing, public speaking, and honing his networking and pitching skills. Today, in addition to worship leading, he hosts one of the most well-known Christian TV Shows, sits in leadership and influential positions across music and media platforms and is a prolific and highly sought after Gospel Radio presenter. Through these various mediums he has made such huge contributions to local, national and international communities that he attracted the attention from those in the highest positions of influence in his country of residence. This in turn earned him one of the highest awards of honour and recognition for his contributions to society.
The process of cultivating takes time and requires commitment to the process. As you go through the process you might have to do things that do not seem to have a direct correlation to the development of the gift. We must be careful that this does not take us to a place of frustration and quitting. A Lot of what David learned in the field was needed not just in the palace but in different seasons. For example, his knowledge of war was honed or birthed in his experiences in the field with lions and bears. He had to learn things which did not seem directly related to being King but they all came in useful in the end. Ultimately, at the heart of the process, what made all the difference was David’s obedience to the process the Lord set for him. Time plus obedience led to the cultivation of everything David needed in his journey from the field to the palace.
A: Can you identify chapters in your journey of cultivation where you have given up, lost focus or become frustrated at the time it takes or even because you no longer see the relevance?
P: Lord, I acknowledge that your ways and your thoughts are higher than mine. So in this moment, I yield to your will, your direction and commit to the process you have set for me
