To Encourage You

1 Samuel 16:18 “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”

In the verse above we are given a description of the young David soon after he had been anointed by Samuel as the second king of Israel.  We are told that after this anointing, “the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13).  From the words recorded in the verse above, words which were spoken to king Saul by one of his servants, it is apparent that those who observed David noticed that were certain signs of God’s presence in his life.  He was skillful at playing the lyre, i.e., he was gifted.  He was a man of valor, i.e., he had an inner courage in the face of danger.  He was a man of war, i.e., he didn’t shrink from a conflict. He was ready to engage in a fight that had a worthy cause.  He was prudent in speech. And he had “a good presence,” a word that is sometimes translated “beautiful,” or “having a beautiful countenance.” With this description we see a concise summary of the effects of the Spirit of God upon a person. 

When God’s Spirit is given to a person, which is something that happens the moment one is born again, there are signs of the Spirit that mark that person’s life. As with David, who had a musical gift, they are given one or more spiritual gifts.  God gives them His supernatural ability to preach, teach, administer, give, encourage or other abilities that are useful for the kingdom of God.  These gifts are listed in places such as Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. 

Another mark of God’s Spirit on a life, like David’s valor, is an inner spiritual strength.  It’s the ability to endure hardship with an intact faith because a person’s trust is in the God Who is omnipotent. 

Another mark: as a person in anointed with the Spirit of God they find that they are suddenly in a great warfare.  While previously they were prisoners in the domain of darkness, they have now been transferred into the kingdom of the Son of God (Colossians 1:13). As a result, they now find themselves engaged in a battle against sin, the temptations of their own flesh, and the world that is controlled by the enemy of men’s souls.  They now become soldiers in the Lord’s army, fighting spiritual battles with the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Another mark: their speech changes.  As Jesus said, it is “out of the abundance of the heart (that the) mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).  If the heart is filled with foolishness and evil, it is foolishness and evil that will proceed from the mouth. On the other hand, if, like David, the heart is filled with God’s Spirit, wisdom from the Spirit will mark one’s speech.

And then one other mark: the countenance.  David’s appearance was beautiful to look upon.  Likewise, the radiance of God’s Spirit in the heart will be reflected in a person’s face.  A radiant spirit and a downcast spirit are two things that are very difficult to hide.  The inner reality marks the countenance – and the beauty of a redeemed soul is reflected in what others see in that person’s life.  It’s that “imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit” that adorns the life as a result of that which is hidden down deep in one’s heart (1 Peter 3:4). 

The effect of God’s Spirit on a life – it’s something on the inside that is manifested to others who observe the visible aspects of a person’s life. That’s God’s intent, after all, for it’s the wonder of God’s Spirit living within the body of His children that He so often uses to show the world the magnificent and glorious attributes of Christ.