The Spirit of God had departed from King Saul, leaving him to go his own way. Saul had built his world with lies, arrogance, and ambition. He had done everything in his power to build a world where he was king. So there was little room for God’s way and a life of holiness, obedience, and community. Israel was supposed to be a light to other nations, pointing the way to God. But with Saul as king, that did not happen.

The writer of 1 Samuel does not want us to miss these important words: “David came to Saul and entered his service.” David’s transition to leadership in Israel included entering the service of a mad and corrupt king. This would shape David’s life in profound ways. It meant that David would serve at the pleasure of King Saul, and he did not have a choice. Still, as he served Saul, David could honor and serve the Lord, the true King.

Today we can see that David entered into Saul’s service so that God could show his people that he knew how to pick a leader after his own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:14; 16:7).

There’s always more going on in life than what we can see in front of us. David and ­others may not have seen it, but God was working in the background to make his purposes known.