Imagine the attitude that he could have had, as a young man. He could have talked to his brothers and said: oh hey, I'm in the court of the king now! Ha-ha, who's the big fella now! He never did, there was no sign of that attitude. He was able to shift from being in the court of a king, and going down to serving in the lowest job, in his home and family. Are you too big to do the lowest job? You're too small to be a king! Greatness is seen in the ability to do the small things.
From there, he went to the cave of Adullam. He had a season of promotion; then he was rejected. Adullam was the place of rejection and injustice, where he was treated terribly unjustly - pushed around, chased down, and treated like a criminal; but it was a place where he had to deal with injustice and rejection. Are you still hurting inside, because of how you've been treated? Are you still angry about how people have treated you? You're still in your cave of Adullam, trying to get to grips with what has happened.
In the place of Adullam, he was able to touch God, and let go the hurt and the anger and the bitterness, and begin to develop a life with God, that prepared him to take on, and be responsible, for a whole nation. The cave of Adullam, that place where you're chased, when things aren't going well - it looks like you've been treated badly, but it’s also the place of preparation for your next season in life.
The next place was Ziklag. He'd had a season of tremendous success. He was starting to grow. People were coming to him; and then he had a devastating problem, a devastating failure. What do you do when you have a failure? What do you do, when everything around your world goes wrong? You will do whatever you do most of the time. For David, that meant that He went to the Lord. He went straight into the Lord and got divine direction - a strategy. He not only got back everything, but he got back more than that, and was able to bless multitudes of people.
Your disasters, and places of disappointment, can be stepping-stones to your next enlargement; or they can be places that cause you to become bitter - you choose!
Main MessageDavid has been anointed king. Saul, the current king, had fallen in battle. He was totally defeated.
2 Samuel 2 – “It happened after this that David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go up to any of the cities of Judah?” And the Lord said to him, “Go up.” David said, “Where shall I go up?” And He said, “To Hebron.” David went up there with his two wives.
David brought up the men who were with him, every man with his household, and the dwelt in the cities of Hebron. Then the men of Judah came, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying: “the men of Jabesh Gilead were the ones who buried Saul”.
So, David sent messengers to the men of Jabesh Gilead, you are blessed of the Lord, you've shown this kindness to your lord, to Saul, and have buried him. And now may the Lord show kindness and truth to you. I will repay you for this kindness, because you have done this thing. Now let your hands be strengthened and be valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and the house of Judah has anointed me to be king over them.”
There's a leadership vacuum. David could immediately just rise and take this role. The first thing David did, is the same thing that he did all the time. He enquired of the Lord: what to do next? When opportunities come to you, do you take time to go and talk to the Lord about the opportunity? Do you ask Him what you should do?