“So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:13
In 1 Samuel 17 we see that because of Saul’s continued disobedience and his lack of willingness to follow God wholeheartedly, the Holy Spirit left him. God had told Samuel that He had found another, one who was “after His heart.” I can remember hearing that phrase, “David was a man after God’s own heart” and thinking, “Wow, David had a special place in God’s heart that we can only hope to have.” But, in reality, that’s not the true meaning of that verse at all. It wasn’t that David had found some special place in God’s heart, but instead God had found a man who was in pursuit of His own heart.
It’s pretty easy to surmise by the reading of 1 Samuel 17 that David was not the most favored of all his brothers. Truth is he was the least favorite of his father Jesse and the one most often left out in the fields to tend to the family’s herd. But, it was most likely in those lonely hours out in the pasture that David taught himself how to play the harp and “became a skilled musician.” I can just see David out there all alone playing songs to the Lord and worshiping the God of his ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And, those beautiful songs must have been the most pleasing sound to the ears and heart of the Father as David serenaded Him with those majestic melodies.
As David learned how to fill the void of loneliness and rejection with heartfelt worship to his Heavenly Father, what did all that worship and singing do for David? It elevated David to the highest position in all the land. Sure, it would be several years before David would take his rightful position as king, but the anointing had come. God had looked into David’s heart and He knew He had it, which was far more important to Him than anything outward.
Today, don’t discount the importance of your worship. Our true, heartfelt worship is a sweet sound to the Father’s ears, and it creates a place where God is most comfortable, which causes Him to make His habitation in our hearts and lives.