Theatre of The Mind

Our minds are free to think whichever thoughts we so desire. It's like we have a theatre in our minds where reels of imaginations play all day. In the same way, I wonder what kind of imaginations and thoughts would run through David's mind while he was out there in the fields as a young shepherd boy. Was he bored? It sure seems like sheep herding could be a boring chore... especially for a young boy. Was he frustrated or even jealous? After all, he was the youngest brother and he did seem to always get stuck out. He could have been angry and said things like: "I always have to take care of the sheep while my brothers get the better jobs. they don't care about me anyway." That's it! Maybe he would spend most of his thoughts feeling sorry for himself. For instance, when Samuel came to Jesse's house, they just left David out there in the fields, hardly even acknowledging his existence. So, maybe David was used to this treatment. He could have spent his time wallowing in self-rejection and pity.

However, I don't believe that this is how David spent his time/thoughts. You see, young shepherd boys have lots of time on their hands, so they have lots of time to think. Their minds are free to run wild with thoughts and imaginations. So, I think that David chose to spend his time thinking about God and talking to God. Instead of wallowing in boredom and vain imaginations, he chose to allow his heart to become fascinated with the living God.

While David was out there in the fields, he would worship with such inspiration that he would write songs. One of those songs has become a well known tune throughout human history: Psalm 23 "The Lord is My Shepherd." Who knows how many songs David wrote while he worshipped in those days, but he would just pour his heart out to God with an adoration and joy that released inspiration and creative expressions. This is why his songs are so good. They were infused with the spirit of God because of his raw and genuine heart of worship.

Moreover, how did he first make his way into the king's palace? It was because Saul was going mad and the men in his court decided that they needed to find a musician that could soothe his nerves. Sure enough, one of the men said that he remembered a boy in bethlehem that was pretty good on the harp. Ironically, this occured soon after Samuel had anointed David as king. Now, the thing is that David was anointed as king in private, so nobody knew about it. I suppose his brothers did, but they were all jealous, so they weren't about to go and tell anybody. Nevertheless, David was anointed outwardly as king just like Saul was, but he had an inner anointing, too. This anointing did not come overnight, and it did not come because somebody poured it upon him. It came because he chose to pour his heart out upon the Lord with songs of love and adoration while he spent his days in the fields watching his father's sheep. His heart was anointed with a spirit of worship long before the oil of Samuel was poured upon his head. This is why God said about David: "I have chosen a man who seeks after my own heart." In other words, a man who has set me up to be the object of his thoughts and imaginations in the theatre of his mind.