Jump Start # 940

1 Samuel 18:2-3 “Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.”

We continue our look this week at the life of David. Our verse today follows David’s killing of the giant, Goliath. God was doing several things that was preparing David to be the next king of Israel. David had already been chosen by Samuel but it seems that was being kept quiet for now. I doubt that Saul would have David around him if he knew David was going to be the next king. By being around the palace and interacting with Saul, David got to see first hand how the kingdom operates. There were levels of staff, counselors, generals and all sorts of people. That was so different than the lonely days out with the sheep. Who you surround yourself with was valuable to a king. God was mentoring David and preparing him to lead His people. David’s new friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan, also brought insights into the kingdom. Jonathan was a military officer and David would have gained insights there from Jonathan.

Interesting stuff. Behind the scenes things that even David may not have realized at the moment.

And now we turn to us. The many people that you interact with in a day may be there to equip you for something down the road that you are not even aware of. God has a wonderful way of preparing us for what lies ahead. Experiences, lessons and people come into our lives all the time. Those that are sharp and have their spiritual antenna tuned to God will grow because of these things. Those that don’t will miss those lessons. Learning to be a parent, or learning to be a leader in the church, or learning to be a helpful servant often comes from our interaction from others. Our first example of parenting is our own parents. That’s the first impression upon us. From that, we read, we see, we learn from others. We see what works. We see what isn’t working. Those lessons shape us and mold us into the type of parent that we feel is right. Some of our best tools is learning from others. The same goes for learning how to help others or how to be a leader in God’s kingdom. We see others doing the same and we learn. We see what works and what isn’t working. Those things affect us and shape us.

What we learn from watching others is powerful. It shapes us more than books or articles because we see it in action. We see the parent having a meltdown in the store and a three year old controlling the situation. That scene stays with us. We see the kind hearted elder in church sitting down on a pew with someone else. They are talking. You see the tenderness and concern from the elder. That leaves an impression. He really cares. You hear of others taking food, or offering someone a ride, or going out of their way to help someone. All of those things are shelved in your heart as things that you could do as well. You learn. You see. Living examples are powerful.

God put David around Saul. David was learning. Has God put you around others to do the same? Do you see that and sense that? A young man watches the preacher. There are things about that preacher that impresses the young man. Years later, the young man decides that he wants to preach. Those impressions have made an impact.

So there are two sides here. First, we are around others, watching, learning and storing lessons that will help us someday. We may not even be thinking about that today, but they are being stored for later. The other side is that there are some who are looking at you and storing what they see in their bookshelf of memories. You as a parent. You as a neighbor. You as a church member. Your attitude. Your kindness. Your spirit. You may be pulled out years from now as either a good example or an example to be avoided. Others are watching you. First and foremost are your children. They see and are being shaped. Your marriage will leave an impression about marriage to them. You as a parent will leave an impression upon them. How you handle things. How you say things. How you do will all be something that they will be shaped and molded with. Having a meltdown in a store is something that others remember.

David was with Saul. Coincidence? I don’t think so. The same can be happening even to you today. Examples help us and teach us. Pick out good examples to follow and remember that you are leaving footprints that others watch and notice.

Roger