Having begun a study of the life of King Saul I then was so taken up with the mighty and dynamic spiritual leader, Samuel, which in turn led me on to read in depth something of the life of the early years of David who was being trained and prepared to become king.
We read of all this in the first book of Samuel in the Old Testament and any leaders or those seeking to attain to leadership would benefit immensely and enormously from a study of these characters.
Those leading and serving in The White House, Washington, and in Downing Street, London, could be helped and encouraged by a serious study of what was actually going on here! Looking at these scenes depicting David who is anointed to become King of Israel, what do we see and learn here and could we face up to such a training period? You lose your job.
You become a refugee.
You are given into deception and find yourself making up stories and telling lies.
All this is utterly astonishing! You have to learn to cope with fear and insecurity, and what you say and do has an effect upon the lives of others! David's dream start had crumbled.
He had been so bold and brave and courageous but then King Saul who became so emotionally unstable and mentally sick resulting from spiritual disobedience seeks this young potential leader in order to destroy and kill him.
That was nothing other than a wave of sin.
Have we not found that there can be those around us who seek to bring our downfall and they will use a whole variety of strategies at times.
That is what King Saul does in his efforts to remove David from the scene.
David had at first tried to believe that Saul was not his enemy, but David's enemies became many, and enemies were to be part of the furniture of his life.
Those early apostles and leaders in the Church of Jesus Christ experienced scenarios that were quite similar Under King Saul's bad leadership the nation of Israel was badly administered.
Discontentment grew.
Those who were oppressed, or in serious debt, or dissatisfied, flocked to David, for help and guidance and leadership and David had to feed, clothe, train and discipline these 400 to 600 men.
Bad leadership leads to serious consequences for individuals and for communities and nations.
King Saul was ready to kill anyone who could even be suspected of siding with David, even threatening to kill his own son because of the pure and wholesome friendship between Jonathan and David.
David was one sixteenth part Moabite as his great grandmother was Ruth.
Is this why he runs there and houses his parents there in time of great danger? They were after all distant family! There are times when we have to use people and turn to people.
We must never abuse people but it can be right and proper to use people and what they may have to offer us in times of need.
David spirituality fluctuated.
So often leaders think that they must always be on top of things and never get down.
Rubbish! David knew what it was to be very low and in the valley of despair on occasion.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, knew what it was to be attacked too.
David learned too that God had more ways than one of answering prayer, and that is one of the amazing lesson which emerges from this exciting book.
David learned how to be led by the Holy Spirit and how to be strengthened and enriched by the grace of our gracious God, and how to trust Almighty God to keep him in times of serious difficulty and danger.
The lesson for leaders and for those in positions of leadership are profound and immense and so very practical.
Sandy Shaw