Just the other day I was thinking of David in the Bible and a thought rose up in my mind that I have never thought about before. I’m sure we all know the story……

God asked Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel, and ultimately it was appointed that David would be that king. Yet, David was only a boy, and a shepherd at that, therefore, he most likely didn’t fit the mold or meet the expectations of what a king should look like. In fact, there was nothing in his resume or about his physique that would even come close to qualifying him for such a position. Perhaps, these were the reasons why Jesse, David’s father, didn’t even consider calling him in from the fields that day as Samuel evaluated the other sons. In the end, however, in spite of all odds being against him, David was still the royal pick, he was, indeed, the chosen one.

What triggered my mind the other day when I was thinking about this story – call it an epiphany, if you will – was this thought: All the while, even long before Samuel showed up that day, even long before David was called in from the fields, I wonder, just wonder, if David already knew that he was going to be a king. I wonder if deep down inside he had had some kind of premonition of what his life would become. Or, was he in complete shock, utterly stupefied, as Samuel called him out that day and anointed his head with oil? I happen to think that while David was out their slinging rocks, strumming his harp, and tending to sheep, he did have an idea, he did have some secret notion, of what his destiny would soon be. I get the feeling that there was probably a stirring in his spirit that told him something big was about to happen in his life – and all he had to do was wait.

And while he waited, I think there were doubtlessly a lot of barriers he had to overcome. First of all, imagine that his own father could not even sense or recognize the greatness in David. I’m sure at some point David must’ve wondered why he was being ignored and forgotten. Why his father did not initially call him in that day when Samuel came. I can’t help but think of the feelings of rejection he must have felt. Abandonment. Invalidation. And coming from all people, his own dad!

Nevertheless, something kept David’s spirit alive. Somewhere beneath the hurt of abandonment and the feelings of rejection there laid an awareness that his life would not remain mediocre forever. The way others perceived him, especially his own family, should have been stumbling blocks preventing him from finding his destiny. But it did not. David kept doing what he always did knowing that one day his true identity would be revealed.

This thought of David has captivated me this whole week. I can’t seem to shake it.

Did David know? That’s been the question. Did he sit there every day out in the field wondering when that day would come that he would finally become the king he knew he was?

I believe that in each one of us there lives a kid, just like David, and in that kid there is a king. A person with dreams and convictions and a faith that can overcome mountains (and in David’s case, a lion, a bear, and a giant). A creature that believes he is a warrior, a winner, and a world changer. That he can do and be anything. Unfortunately, that king inside of us is not usually who confronts us when we look in the mirror. When we’re faced staring at the reality of our life. In fact, it doesn’t take much for our inner voice of confidence to hush to a whisper when we begin to speculate how we’ll ever reach our destiny.

I wonder, how often does our child-like faith actually enlarge enough that our inner man breaks through the thick shell of our unbelieving, seemingly underachieving, outer man, the part of our being that we perceive as being incapable, unfit, too poor or too old to actually be anything worthy, anything suitable for greatness. Are we fit to be a king? David wasn’t.

I have voiced many times that a man (or woman) will become only what he believes he already is. That means that when a person believes that there is a king living inside of them – and when I say believe, I really mean that they live it out in their spirit everyday as though it was already so – it takes only time itself before that king is manifested into the outward realm of their life.

Let’s not forget, just because David was stuck babysitting sheep for awhile did not change the fact that there was a king living inside of him. Just because David was the youngest in his family, overlooked and overshadowed every time opportunity presented itself, did not keep David from believing in his destiny. David was a king even before anyone else knew it.

Is there a king inside of you? Is there a warrior just waiting to come out? Has there been an undeniable stirring in your spirit that God is calling you to something bigger and greater? Are you simply waiting for a Samuel to walk up to you and tell you who you really are?

If you know there is a king inside you, you may have felt at times like you’re a size 13 foot jammed into a size 9 shoe. Or that you possess Superman potential, but exist in a Clark Kent capacity. Regardless of your current situation or however complex the circumstances may seem, don’t ever lose hope of your destiny. I encourage you today to never give in to your fears or even your impatience. Don’t ever back down at the lion or the bear. Don’t be intimidated by the giant. And don’t be discouraged by the mediocrity of herding sheep or the lack of affirmation from those around you. You know your calling. You sense your purpose. So believe. It’s just a matter of time and faith before that king inside of you is birthed into the world.