The prophet Samuel had to choose a new king from the sons of Jesse in Bethlehem. He made sure to choose the person God wanted for the job. In 1 Samuel 16:4-13, the Lord gave clear instruction to Samuel on how to find the next king of Israel. The key point is made in the middle of verse seven where God says, "The Lord doesn't see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." So, it our hearts that need to be right before God. The only way to make your heart right before the Lord is through having a relationship with Jesus.

King Saul and his Israelite army had a problem. The Philistine Goliath dared someone to come and fight him. The Israelites were so scared that they ran away. Not until David stood up to Goliath were they able to see that, because God was with them, any one of them with faith in God could have defeated Goliath. When we face challenges in life, we should have faith in God. This will give us peace and joy, not fear like the Israelite army had. Romans 5:3-5 tells us that, "We can rejoice, too, when we run into problem and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance."

<p>David was the "little" brother in his family. While three of his brothers were listening to Goliath’s challenge, David was in Bethlehem taking care of his father’s sheep. Then Jesse gave him another job to do. Sometimes, we want to do something bigger and better than what we are in the middle of doing. It’s important to God that we are faithful in ordinary, everyday things. It allows God to trust us to do even bigger things! David understood this, and he acted responsibly by leaving the sheep in the care of another shepherd before going to see his brothers on the battlefield. Here are three guidelines from the Bible on family relationships:</p><ul><li>"Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do" (Ephesians 6:1-2a).</li><li>"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4).</li><li>"Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Live in harmony with each other" (Romans:12:10,16a).</li></ul>

David’s brothers looked down on him as being too "little" or young. When David stood in front of King Saul, the king’s response was the same (1 Samuel 17:30-39). That might have made some people upset, but David persisted and talked about his past experiences to prove he was not too young. God created you uniquely (Psalm 139) and has a plan and purpose for your life (Jeremiah 29:11). The experiences you go through--both good and bad--are woven into this plan, making you stronger. Past experiences prepare you for the future as they influence the way you think, feel, and act. David experienced God’s help and protection in the past, and he used this knowledge to help him trust that God would be there for him in the future. You can do the same. Like David, you should also focus on developing and using your gifts and talents so that they can become a meaningful part of your life and something God can use in the future.

We may not have to face actual giants like Goliath in our lives, but we may have fears or problems that appear just as big to us. Like David, we can rely on God’s strength to help us be victorious. You + God is ALWAYS bigger than any of your enemies or challenges. David knew and admitted that he couldn’t fight Goliath in his own strength. He relied upon the power of the Lord. He said, “This is the Lord’s battle,” and stated that the result would be that “the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel" (1 Samuel 17:46b). He focused on God and not on himself. He didn’t take the glory for bringing down a giant – David gave that glory to the Lord. When we face challenges, we should focus on God’s strength and power and praise Him when He helps us (Psalm 44:7-8).