Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ. In all that we do, in all that we say, we want to give glory and honor to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for tuning us in as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, let's take the beautiful Word of God and share it with each and every one of you as we have a sense of anticipation to take the Word of God and to listen to its truth for each and every one. Thank you for tuning us in, I'm Darrell Bailey. Service for Christ, amen. For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. Thank you, as we look at the third in our series, Beyond the Spotlight, Embracing the Role. I'm glad that in this series, it talks about how that every one of us have someone that plays a primary part and a crucial role in our life. And I believe that we need to embrace that role. And so we know that Batman had a Robin, the Lone Ranger had Tonto, even Paul had Barnabas and several other missionary companions. But when we focus, we often remain a lot of times on the primary figure. And so we don't realize that that sidekick plays a very crucial role. Who helps you manage life's challenges? Who supports you during those tough times? Who shares in your triumphs? Have you ever been supportive of someone else? From the sidekicks in the Old Testament and the New Testament, we learn the very importance of teamwork and the virtues that we should embody, the pitfalls that we must avoid, and the rewards of being part of a unified team. I'm glad that when it comes to church, You've got the pastor, you've got the associate pastor, the youth minister, you've got the deacons, praise God. Amen. You have got a whole team of everyone in the body of Christ that comes together that makes a wonderful team. And God has designed us to work together, to support one another, to excel in our roles, no matter our position, no matter our title. And whether in the spotlight or behind the scenes, being a faithful Christian involves letting our light shine. Leadership is very demanding. I know, as I pastored for almost 22 years in one place, and being a youth minister in others, and leading without support is even more challenging. Encouragers and supporters are very, very essential today in our ministries. And so, I'm gonna tell you, as we look at David, take your Bibles over to 1 Samuel chapter 18, verses five through 16. You know, when we look at the story of David, I'm glad that every one of us today Many of us have the unfortunate experience of working for an employer, a boss, or a supervisor that are poor in their leadership skills. But whether that person tried to take credit for your work or sabotage your good efforts, work in that kind of environment can be very discouraging. Many respond in kind, tempting to discredit their boss, are ceasing to put much effort into their assignment, but God calls every one of us to a higher standard. And when I say this, I'm not talking about anybody personally. I'm talking about the wonderful embracing the role of the Word of God, because David was a sidekick. But he went beyond the spotlight. He began to realize, and even King Saul knew that God had his hand on David. That's why he wouldn't even let David go back to his own home. He was the youngest of all of Jesse's sons, and yet Saul saw that there was something special about David, and he was jealous. He envied David. And so, let's open up with a word of prayer. We come before you, Father, with hearts that, as we get into the Word of God in 1 Samuel chapter 18. May we reflect on where David faithfully serves King Saul with excellence despite the growing envy and the hostility that he faced. Lord, we ask for your guidance and strength as we explore the lessons from David's unwavering commitment and resilience. Help us, Father, to serve with the same kind of dedication and grace that David exhibited, even when our efforts are not appreciated by others. May we be inspired by his example to remain steadfast in our calling, to trust in your plan, Heavenly Father. Give us wisdom to understand your teaching and courage to apply them in our own lives. And Lord, I pray God for those ones that are lost, that have no hope whatsoever. that salvation may come their way and save them by your marvelous grace. May we all work together. Oh, Father, there's many that somehow or another you just can't work with them because they have so much jealousy and envy and hatred. And Father, I pray that there's no need for any of those things. Especially when we get into the story of David, beyond the spotlight, embracing the role in Jesus' marvelous mighty name. Amen. Now you know what? Jealousy and envy are very terrible evils. Envy is the resentful feeling that we have when we see someone with something that we want or see a person achieve something that we wish to achieve. And if a person has something that we want and cannot get, What are we going to do? Well, if the passion to have the thing is strong enough, we go after it. The driving force of that passion, it compels people to pursue whatever they want. It's the passion of envy or jealousy that causes many, many, many troubles in churches, in families, in people who steal and abuse and assault and even commit murder. And many people may be jealous or envious of a person's beauty or good works, a person's wealth or possessions, a person's house or cars, a person's position or authority. And you know what? Maybe it's their job. Maybe it's their income. a person's husband or wife, boyfriend or girlfriend. We, everybody, can be jealous or envious of any person or of anything in this world. And jealousy or envy that has become so deep-seated is what causes so much lawlessness, immorality, violence, power-seeking, and war within the societies of the world among the nations of the earth. Being jealous of people and possessions and power and wealth of this world is a cancerous sore that eats away at the human heart and destroys human lives. Jealousy will destroy the life of any person who gives in to its passion and the jealous person that far too often damages the lives of those that he or she envies through rumors, covetedness, lust and abuse, and even attacks are either verbal or physical abuse. And so, we're dealing with a passage of scripture that is a picture of a terrible evil of jealousy and envy. King Saul became so jealous, so envious of David that he progressively deteriorated mentally, spiritually, and became insanely jealous gripped with extreme paranoia, he experienced episodes of insanity, and he made an attempt after attempt upon David's life. Here is the story of Saul's jealous rage and attempts to kill David. And so, when we look and we realize that and the wonderful word of God. After David killed Goliath, the stalemate between Israel and the Philistine army finally ended with the Israelite army pursuing the enemy and plundering their camps. So, King Saul determined to find out more about Israel's new hero. Back in 1 Samuel chapter 17, the king's commander Admir found David still toting Goliath's head. But you know what? Saul needed to know more about the giant slayer, even though David had previously soothed his anxious heart by playing the livery for him and remained in service whenever the king needed him. back in 1 Samuel chapter 16. You see, here's the conversation between David and Saul that clinched the matters for Saul's son, Jonathan. Saul's son, I'm gonna tell you, impressively, the impressive victory against Goliath, notwithstanding David's words with Saul, that impressed Jonathan, Saul's son, the most. And all of a sudden it created a bond between David and Jonathan immediately. A relationship that was marked by unity and commitment. And Jonathan gave David his robe, his military tunic, his sword, his bow and belt that signaled his admiration for David and showed that he recognized that God had chosen David to be Israel's next king. Eager to add such a skilled military man, a man of God, a man that was overcast with the blessings of God. Next. to his father, the king. To add this man to his cabinet, Saul was determined that David would remain and not return to the father's house. And that's what took place in 1 Samuel chapter 18 verses 1 through 4. And we look and we see that out of that, that Even though that it ain't our lesson, I'm going to read it anyway in verse 1. And it came to pass when he had made an end to speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. And Jonathan loved him as his own soul in verse 2. And Saul took him that day and would let him go no more home to his father's house. In verse 3, and then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him as his own soul. In verse 4, in 1 Samuel 18, and Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him and gave it to David and his garments, even his sword and to his bow and to his girdle. And that'll bring us up to verse five that we're going to be seeing. Now, can you imagine? Imagine this, a publishing company that requires thousands of details for one issue. Thousands of words, thousands of illustrations, thousands of ads, thousands of photos, thousands of designs, all kinds of editing, printing, mailing. It doesn't just happen. It's one of those details that if something is left undone or someone only halfway does their part in a publication process, then you've got a messy product that's distributed to readers. No one sees all of the work that goes into the process of story writing. The majority of my sermons, I write them and have for years. But sometimes, even if it's somebody else that gives me an idea, I rewrite it. And you know, it ensures that when we look at a publication, that it is correct. Even before King David served with excellence, though King Saul hated him, and our service may be mental to some, listen to me, but to God it really matters. And so, when we look First of all, in verses 5 through 7, we need to be able to commit wholeheartedly to the vision set by our leaders, amen? And I'm glad that when we look at this, when we begin to look at the Word of God in verse 5, We begin to see that there was jealousy of Saul over the success of David. Remember that David was just a young youth, most likely somewhere between 16 and 18 years old, and he was not yet of military age, which was at that time, you had to be 20 years old to go on the battlefield. He had just shown the most unusual valor, courageously facing and killing the most huge giant, Goliath, and became the heroic warrior over all of battlefields in that day. His extraordinary bravery aroused the fearful Israelite army to attack and gain a significant victory over the Philistine forces. Because of David, Saul and his army was victorious. Immediately after the battle that had settled down, Saul had summoned David to be brought before him, and they had apparently had a long conversation. And as a result of that conversation, David's life was to be changed forever, both for good, but also for bad. Because the scripture that it paints the scene of just how David's life was redirected. Saul's son Jonathan developed a strong fellowship with David, even a brotherly love. And keep in mind that both of these young men had courageous spirits and possessed great faith in the Lord. But Jonathan was obviously older, probably by quite a few years. And yet, for a man that had to be at least 20 years old to serve in the army, Jonathan was already a seasoned soldier. In fact, he was one of the major commanders in the army that had already won two significant victories in 1 Samuel chapter 13 and 1 Samuel chapter 14, two battles that took place there. That it was probably David's courageous boldness that had attracted Jonathan to David and that led him to take David under his care in order to train him in the affairs of a royal court and in military tactics. And as a result, a close bond of friendship grew into a oneness of spirit and brotherly love. Immediately after David's victory over Goliath, Saul honored David by bringing him permanently into the king's court and service. And so, we see David was very wise in the way that he handled every task that was assigned to him. He was very successful in every assignment given to him by Saul. And so, what do we see? Verses five, six, and seven, that I'm fixing to read, teaches us that we're to commit wholeheartedly to the vision that is set by your leader. And so, I'm glad that we're to give our best to whatever our leader calls us to do. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 18, verse five, and David went out, whether so ever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely, and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul's servants, in verse six. And it came to pass as they came, when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel singing and dancing to meet King Saul with tambrits, with joy, and with instruments of music. And verse seven, and the women answered one another as they played and said, Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands. Wow. Can you imagine? David had been anointed as the king of Israel when King Saul disobeyed the Lord and God took the kingdom away from him in 1 Samuel chapter 15 and 16. And following the anointing as king, David defeated the Goliath. But Saul was still reigning on the throne of Israel. And asked, whose son art thou? young man, to which David replied, I am the son of thy servant Jesse, the Bethlehemite. And from that point forward, Saul kept David close by his side and didn't allow him to return to his father's house. You know what? Every one of us, Saul sent David out as the commander of the military battles and in submission to the authority of his leader, David did what he was assigned and was successful at it. And it's apparent that David was well liked because those under his authority were pleased when he was put in charge. David worked hard to serve the Lord, the King, and the people of Israel, and he was victorious for it. You see, the victories that he had on the battlefield, they were recognized as the women begin to sing the songs, amen. And so, I'm glad that each and every one of us, when we look and realize how good the Lord is to us, Boy, I could just hear the songs that they was singing. Saul's got a thousand soldiers marching in a row. Got a mighty army, don't you know, know, know. But David's just a shepherd with a slingshot and a song. He's got 10,000 fans and he's been singing all along. Oh, Saul's got thousands, he's the king of the land. But David's got 10,000, he's rocking the band. Saul's a feeling kind of jealous and his mood's not so grand. Cause David's got the rhythm that's spreading across the land. Oh, Saul's throwin' some big ol' parties with a royal feast of gold But David's got the crowd and he's cheerin', feelin' bold Saul's got his palace all decked out in fine decor But David's got the people shoutin', give us some more and more and more Oh, Saul's got thousands, he's the king of the land But David's got ten thousand and he's rockin' the band Saul's feelin' kinda jealous and his mood's not so grand. Cause David's got the rhythm that's spreadin' across the land. Oh, I can just hear them singin'. Man, they givin' it a tune. Them women are singin' up a storm and old King Saul hears this. Oh my goodness, they're usin' David's same name with my name. I'm the king! I'm the king! I'm the king! Oh my goodness. Boy, did you know that enraged King Saul. Because this little old bitty run of somebody was getting credit for something, oh my goodness, that he should be getting credit for. that's how jealousy is and so because of david's military successes and faithful servant to the royal court saw soon made david a commander in the army and i'm telling you that this act that please both the people and the military officers and in the mind of the people david was a hero and became even more popular than king saw After the defeat of the Philistines, the armies marched triumphantly from city to city, celebrating the glorious victory over the archenemy. And what happened in celebrating David's triumph over Goliath and the army's victory over the Philistines? The women composed them a song that honored David more than Saul, placing Saul in second place. And the women, they danced about singing that Saul had slain his thousands, but David, his tens of thousands. Oh my goodness, oh man, can you imagine? Can you imagine how that went over and how that happened? Oh man, you talking about somebody was furious. Oh, Saul's got thousands. He's the king of the land. But David's got 10,000 and he's rocking the band. Saul's feeling kind of jealous and his mood's not so grand. Cause David's got the rhythm that's spreading across the land. Oh, man, but David's just out there playing his own game, so Saul can have his thousands and his throne so high, while David's a-dancing and singing under the bright blue sky. I could just hear him singing now. Man, they were giving it down the road. Oh, man. Boy, can you imagine King Saul heard all of that? Jealousy and envy can cause all kinds of problems for all of us. Because when you envy a person's beauty or good looks, that can cause us to feel unattractive and lead us to degrade ourselves. Envying a person's position can arouse covetousness within us and cause us to attack the person either verbally or physically. Envying a person's success or achievement can create bitter hatred within us, a bitter hatred that causes us to react in all kinds of ways. Being jealous or being envious of a person because he or she has something that we want that can consume us, that can absorb all of our thoughts, all of our time, all of our passion, because this is the kind of thing that can eat away at people's hearts and minds just like a cancer. And a man or woman can be so jealous of another's wealth that he or she claws and grasps after that wealth, becoming consumed with gaining it. You know what? A woman can become so jealous of another's beauty that they're consumed with becoming more attractive, spending all kinds of money and jewelry and hairdos and nail jobs and feet and all of the plastic surgery to gain more beauty. Oh, let's go down to the gym. Not to be healthy. I want to be more prettier and beautiful than this one is and look better. We become so jealous and envious of others. to the degree that it consumes our lives. And you know what? That's sad to be able to grow and live in a condition like that. And so we look and we see that as David, because of Saul's failure to leave Israel, according to God's standard, God sent the prophet Samuel to anoint David as the next king. David went out, whether so ever Saul sent him, behaved himself wisely, and his attitude, David's conduct and work ethic demonstrated his success, and everyone in Saul's court throughout Israel recognized it and praised him for it. Saul sent him over the men of war because of David's military successes and faithful service. And when David was returned from the slaughter of the Philistines, Man, the women came out and they sung and they danced and they had their tambourines and they had their instruments of music and they began to sing the very wonderful songs that they wrote a song about David's 10,000 and Saul's thousands. Saul had slain his thousands and David his 10,000. Man. You know what? They never intended to make Saul feel inferior. After all, he received all of the top billing in the song. But the women probably sang the two lines with a whole crowd that joined them. And while it was hard for readers to grasp that such a simple chorus could reach national popularity, even the Philistines of the enemy heard the song. Being sung I could just imagine all of that taking place and transpiring and so that is how it is when every one of us when we are trying to Get through life and deal with all of the things especially when we're dealing with the spotlight of things that are in our lives a man and so I'm glad that when we look and we realize beyond the spotlight, we embrace the role. Amen. Because I'm glad that each and every one of us, when we look at the scriptures in verse 8 down to verse 11, the Bible says, And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him. And he said, They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands. And what can he have more but the kingdom? In verse 9, and Saul eyed David from that day and forward. In verse 10, and it came to pass on the morrow that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house, and David played with his hand as at other times, and there was a javelin in Saul's hand. In verse 11, and Saul cast the javelin, for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it, and David avoided out of his presence twice. When we look at this. First of all, we see excellence in your work may not always be recognized, but it remains crucial. You see, in verses five, six, and seven, we're called to commit wholeheartedly to the vision set by our leader. But secondly, in verses eight through 11, excellence in your work may not always be recognized, but it remains crucial. Because every one of us, when we look and realize that what motivates us to do our best at something, How do we continue to do the best? Knowing that our words could provide useful information, I'm glad. How that we keep ourselves motivated. How do we supercharge ourselves and keep on going, amen? I say that it's all the Lord's work. because the Lord is the one that gives. And I'm glad the Lord is the one that takes. And I hope that as we go forward, there was the attempt of Saul to kill David. And we see that in verse 10. And I'll tell you, or actually in verse 8, 9, 10, and 11, that evil spirit came upon Saul and he began to prophesy, that is, he became so uncontrollable in his behavior, raving like a madman, all of a sudden Saul hurled a spear at David, attempting to kill him. This was not the only attempt on this day. David was playing the harp for Saul, attempting to calm his episode of insanity. And Saul again attempted to kill him. But David eluded him both times. And this is a strong testimony to the loyalty and the commitment of David to whatever task was assigned to him. He was loyal to Saul and committed to helping the king overcome his episodes of insanity. Saul's jealousy aroused a spirit of bitter hatred against David. Hatred can consume the soul as much as the most dangerous cancer can consume the body. Hatred will cause all kinds of strife and problems, destroyed relationships within families and businesses and communities and nations. and as well as among coworkers and neighbors and schoolmates. Hatred can cause various problems of abuse, assault, murder, lies and rumors, theft, loss of property, loss of employment, broken relationships, ulcers, depression, revenge, insanity, and on and on and on. Problems created by bitter hatred are innumerable. And so, I'm glad that as we look and realize in Mark chapter 6, the Bible says, for John had said unto Herod, it's not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him and would have him killed, would have killed him, but she could not. You know what? We see that everywhere in America today. And so, it's sad that when this thing happens, that we've got to have excellence in our work. And it may not always be recognized, but it remains very, very crucial. How do we remain faithful to God's call while encountering hostility from others? Well, we've got to root ourselves in prayer and in the word of God. Study to provide that strength and clarity. To stay focused on the purpose and remind us of God's promises. To seek support from fellow believers that we surround ourselves with a community that shares in our faith. Keep the perspective on the bigger picture to remember that when you face hostility. that it's often a part of a larger journey that reflects on the biblical figures like Daniel and Joseph and Paul who faced significant opposition but they remained faithful. And so we maintain a spirit of love and forgiveness We respond to hostility with love and kindness as Jesus taught, to disarm that opposition, to reflect our commitment to God's principles. We stay true to our convictions, amen. We take care of ourself physically, emotionally, and spiritually in our health as we face hostility that can be so draining, so self-care helps that we continue to trust in God's timing and his justice. Trust that he'll handle the outcomes. He'll provide the justice in his timing. As we face hostility, it can be a test of our faith. But it's also an opportunity to demonstrate our trust in God's plan by staying grounded in our faith. And I'm glad that we can navigate the challenges with grace and strength. And so, I'm glad that we look and we realize that through all of these things, amen, that God will continue to do the greatest thing, amen. And so, as we do this, we come up to verses 12 through 16. But I'm going to remind you that David was so successful and what Saul charged him to do, that Saul became envious and resentful of David. Saul was wroth with him. And so, each of us as we go through life today, when we look at verse 12 of 1 Samuel 18, and Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him and was departed from Saul. You know, when the Lord's presence leaves somebody, they know it. They're just up like trying to carry on in their own energy and their own power without the Holy Spirit and the touch from God. And you know what? When God's got his hand on you, he's doing it all. And I go back in verse 13, therefore Saul removed him From him and made him his captain over a thousand and he went out and came in before the people in verse 14 of first samuel 18 And david behaved himself wisely in all of his ways and the lord was with him I'll say this on behalf of the lord When he's with you, it makes it so easy as if you're doing nothing because you're doing nothing. The Lord does it all. Ain't that wonderful? You know what? You could work three jobs and still do the Lord's work because he's doing it all. You ain't doing it. I ain't doing it. The Lord is doing it. And verse 15, wherefore, when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him. Verse 16, but all Israel and Judah loved David because he went out and came in before them. Not only did we see in verses 5, 6, and 7 that we're to commit ourselves wholeheartedly to the vision set by our leader. Secondly, in verses 8 through 11, the excellence in our work may not always be recognized, but it remains very crucial. But thirdly, in verses 12 through 16, we need to maintain our commitment to honoring God through our actions, even in the face of disrespect or opposition. And so I'm glad that every one of us, David not only enjoyed success on the battleground, but he also continued to enjoy success on the home front. All of Israel and Judah loved David. He took care of his troops. He led them well. Even the towns and the villages benefited from David's military campaigns. David led Saul's in a manner that honored the Lord and God was with David and he was successful because of it. Boy, you know what? When we see things like this, when we look and realize that what the Lord is doing as he blesses folks beyond the spotlight, when we embrace the role, I'm glad that each of us, that we can look and realize that what the Lord is wanting to do in our lives, amen. When we look and realize that God is doing a great thing. How do we avoid being jealous of others? and of the success of others. Well, we celebrate with their achievements. And I'm glad that each and every one of us, as we go through life, that we all have a common struggle in ways that we do things. But we celebrate the success with others and recognize their achievements. We don't diminish their value or their potential. We focus on what you have rather than what you lack. and we are grateful for the perspective of appreciation and so we remind ourselves of our unique past and progress that everyone is on. Everyone has their own timeline and everyone has their own growth and accomplishments and we can set our own personal goals and aspirations and I'm glad that we can recognize that the success It involves hard work, it involves timing, and it involves circumstances. And maybe it just ain't your time right yet, but it will be. Just keep on going forward and doing. Amen. And so, I'm glad that we're able to look and realize that we can collaborate with others rather than compete with them. We work together in a sense of community and share a success and all of our feelings. No jealousy needs to come about, Amen. And so when we look and realize that that was a second attempt of David's life because of jealousy. Man, jealousy or envy will cause fear and division between people. Naturally, if a person is envious of someone else, there's a division between the two and sometimes fear. Being afraid of what the envious person will do often becomes a problem. For an envious person may lie, they may steal, they may cheat to get what he or she wants, and envy may lead a person to slander, ridicule, persecution, abuse, assault, and even murder to get what he or she wants. But if a person is envious of us, he or she may be a threat to us and arouse fear within us, but this is not the way God intends for men and women of God to live. We are not to be jealous. We're not to be envious of one another. Neither are we to live in fear or division with one another. We have already dealt with jealousy and envy, but now we see what God does because I'm glad that when we look and realize that everything that God wants to do I'm glad that when we deal with disrespect and opposition from others, we deal with it in a godly way. We stay calm and powerful. We take a moment to pray for wisdom and calmness, and this helps us to respond thoughtfully rather than impulsively. We respond with kindness because we reflect Christ's love by treating others with kindness and respect. and we can disarm hostility and reflect well on our character. I'm glad that it's important to protect ourselves from all of the harmful, abusive behaviors by setting clear boundaries that help us maintain our dignity while navigating these difficult interactions. We speak the truth in love. The I statements to express our feelings, those are the things that are feelings without accusing or escalating the situation. And so, if possible, work towards resolving all conflicts and misunderstandings, a spirit of reconciliation that can bring healing and mutual respect. We practice forgiveness. We hold no grudges that are harmful. We forgive others as God forgives us. We release any bitterness or resentment that we might feel. And I'm glad that we model integrity. because we demonstrate the values that we stand for through our actions every day. Integrity in the face of opposition is a powerful witness to our faith. And so we have friends, we have mentors, we have wonderful pastors that we can be right there to support them and to reflect on the example of Christ. Jesus faced tremendous opposition and disrespect, but it responded with humility and love. We reflect on his example and we provide strength and inspiration. As I get ready to close out and wrap up everything about David and about Beyond the Spotlight to embrace the role. Every one of us, how can we apply the principle of serving with excellence when our work is not appreciated as demonstrated by David in 1 Samuel chapter 18, verses five through 18. We maintain the heart of integrity and commitment in all that we do regardless of everything that's happening. Focus on our service to God rather than seeking approval from others. Embrace the mindset of doing our best for the Lord. Trust that He sees and values our efforts to remain motivated and faithful. Some of the practical ways to respond to hostility or envy from others while we continue to serve effectively is we respond with kindness. as we set boundaries to protect our well-being. We use professionalism with the Holy Spirit of God seeking support from our fellow believers to focus on the purpose of our service rather than the reactions of others and to practice forgiveness and release any bitterness or resentment. And then we can learn the lesson from David's story about handling success and opposition and how that these lessons guide us in our own personal lives because David's story teaches us the value of humility, perseverance, trust in God's plan, handling success with grace, responding to opposition with integrity and dedication. Because our personal and professional lives as men and women of God, this lesson guides us to remain committed to our values, act with integrity, and our circumstances that trust God's timing and purpose that are perfect. May we close out, as we close out beyond the spotlight and embracing the role of our character in 1 Samuel 18 verses 5, amen, all the way down to verse 16 that we talked about, commit wholeheartedly to the vision set by your leader. In verses five, six, and seven. In verses eight through 11, may we use excellence in our work that may not always be recognized, but it remains crucial. And last but not least, in verses 12 through 16, maintain our commitment to honoring God through our actions, even in the face of disrespect or opposition. Heavenly Father, Lord, help us to keep your insights and wisdom May as we conclude our time together. that the lessons of David's service and principles of serving with excellence, even when unappreciated, will resonate deeply in our hearts. Help us to embody the spirit of dedication and humility that David showed, to trust in the timing and God's justice. And may we apply these lessons to our daily lives as we serve with integrity and grace, regardless of the recognition or opposition. Lord, keep us anchored in your love and in your purpose. In the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. you