Samuel was a prophet and God instructed him to anoint a new king to succeed Saul. God told Samuel not to look at physical appearance but to follow His leading to the person He had already chosen to be king. God looks at the heart, not outward appearance. Samuel anointed David and “the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.” 1 Samuel 16:13b

David was in the wilderness protecting the sheep. In a physical wilderness we all feel closer to God. Sometimes, when we are in a spiritual or emotional wilderness, we feel like God is not there. David learned about the love and protection of God. He wrote the book of Psalms which told how God was caring for him. In the 23rd Psalm we read “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want.” Sheep cannot survive without a shepherd to protect them and to lead them to safe areas to get water and food. God is our Shepherd, the guardian of our souls. God is with us in all of our circumstances. He, as our Shepherd, is with us at all times. It is important that we remember He never leaves us alone. God is there to love us through our problems and our triumphs. The Lord is our Shepherd.