Most of the things we learn in life we learn the hard way — through experience. The Bible is full of teaching and others can add personal experience, but it seems most wisdom is gained through daily life experiences. God trains and prepares His servants for service by sending them to the school of hard knocks. It seems some things can only really be learned by practical life experiences. Life experiences show us our own limits and our need of God. Even Jesus had to learn by experience: “He learned obedience from what He suffered” (Heb 5:8). The same was true of David.
God had called and anointed David to be king. However, it is a big jump from the sheep pen to the throne room! Even thought David was sincere and very committed in his faith, he still needed training to be the king of Israel and to rule them as a man after God’s own heart. David had some hard lessons to learn in the school of life experiences.
- PEOPLE WILL DISAPPOINT Immediately after David killed Goliath Saul started wondering who he was and trying to find out information about him (1 Samuel 17:55-58). What made that so bad was that David had been in Saul’s court as an armor-bearer and to play his harp to soothe Saul (1 Samuel 16:14-22). How do you feel when you go out of your way to help someone and they forget you, don’t even remember you? David had to learn that what he did was to be done unto the Lord because God wanted him to do it and it was the right thing to do. As a leader David couldn’t count on people’s appreciation and thanks. He could not afford to get in the pattern of doing things to impress people. No leader can really lead that way. The same is true of us. To serve God we must learn to not depend on people’s approval and to not do things to impress or please people.
- A LOYAL FRIEND IS VERY VALUABLE Evidently Jonathan had been listening to his father’s questions. He remembered David and reached out in friendship, giving David clothing and armor he would need in the court. This friend made David’s transition to court life much easier (1 Samuel 18:1-5). Sometimes we think God might not be listening to us or helping us, but if He has provided a god, loyal friend He has provided a wonderful blessing. We only learn how important a good friend is by life experiences — that’s when we need a friend.
- WORLDLY SUCCESS IS FLEETING David’s time in the court didn’t last long, though. Saul got very jealous of David’s popularity (1 Samuel 18:10-12). God was teaching David that he couldn’t depend on security in job or position. That’s an important life lesson, and the sooner learned the better. No matter how great a job is, it’s not our security. Only God is.
- PUT GOD BEFORE LOVED ONES One of the rewards for killing Goliath was Saul’s oldest daughter, but he gave him his other daughter, Michal, instead. First he said David would have to kill 100 Philistines as a dowry, hoping David himself would be killed. Instead, he killed 200. Saul tried to capture David in his home with Michal but he was able to escape. Michal wouldn’t come with him, though, and married another man who seemed to have better prospects at the moment. David is showing David that He must be first, even before family and loved ones. Sometimes taking a stand for him alienates one from their loved ones.
Because he had to flee for his life he also lost his best friend, Jonathan, for they couldn’t be together any more (1 Samuel 19:1, 41-42). He had to stay away from his mentor, Samuel, too, or Samuel’s life would be in danger. David lost his job & position, his wife, his mentor and his best friend. All he had left was God. God wanted these experiences to teach David to trust Him more. Unfortunately, David didn’t do so well. He lost his relationship with God, too.
- SINFUL FEAR DEFEATS AND DESTROYS Fear is one of Satan’s best tools, and it worked to perfection on David. He decided to take matters into his own hands to meet his needs, and then when that backfired tried to cover up his sin, making it worse. This began a sin pattern in David that he would repeat over and over, culminating with his sin with Bathsheba.
He ran in fear to take refuge with God’s enemies, the Philistines (1 Samuel 1:10-15). When they discovered him there he came up with a plan to cover himself and avoid the consequence of his sin. He pretended he was insane, acting crazy and letting his saliva run down his beard. Ancient people believed those who were insane were ‘touched by the gods’ and wouldn’t harm them. What a humiliating position for David to be in! He fled to a cave and hid (1 Samuel 22:1).
- BE CONTENT NO MATTER WHAT How appropriate that David was trapped in a dark, damp, lonely cave. Isn’t that where we put ourselves, too, when we take matters into our own hands and then try to cove up our sins when things don’t work out like we want? Self-pity, depression, discouragement — what awful, lonely, dark caves they are!
God used that cave to bring David to repentance (Romans 8:28). David soon saw his self-centeredness and independence. He confessed them and returned to God. Read Psalm 142, for David wrote it about what he learned in that cave. He learned to trust God and be content, even if it means losing job, mate, mentor and friend. Losing them is no reason to lose God, too. It took some hard life experiences to teach this lesson to David.
- FORGIVE THOSE WHO HURT YOU Word of David spread throughout Israel and before long many who were discontented with Saul or threatened by him also fled to hide with David (1 Samuel 22:1-2). Saul had really hurt lots of people, including David. To be a good king David had to learn to forgive and not use his power to get revenge. He learned this the hard way, too, for when Saul was within his reach David did something to hurt Saul (1 Samuel 24:1-7) and soon regretted it. He repented of it and promised to never do it again. Revenge is never as sweet at it seems it will be. The sooner we learn to forgive instead of being bitter, the better we will be (Rom 12:17-21). This, too, is one of those lessons we must learn from experience.
- LEARN FROM YOUR EXPERIENCES Thus God is using these life experiences to teach David to trust Him and put Him before anyone and everything else in life. There were necessary lessons to learn to be a king after God’s own heart, and God put David through a long training period to learn those things. God does the same to us today. Learn from them.
- PASS YOUR LESSONS ON TO OTHERS David passed his knowledge on to us, too, to help us as we go through life experiences today. That’s why he wrote it down for future generations. Pass on what you have learned to your children and others around you. That won’t replace learning by life experiences, but it will make the lessons easier and quicker.
Romans 12:19 “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,”
Do you have any enemies, anyone who would like to see you fail?
Is there anyone you don’t like seeing do well, anyone you would like to see fail?
If there is anyone you need to forgive, stop and do so now. Then do what you can to reconcile with them.
cto Rev. Dr. JERRY SCHMOYER
Christian Training Organization
Jerry@ChristianTrainingOrganization.org
(India, Africa & Spanish Outreach, Spiritual Warfare, Family Ministries, Counseling, World View)
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