“Arise and anoint him, for this is he,” said God’s voice in Samuel’s heart.
Slowly, then, the old man rose and held the oil aloft and poured it upon the boy’s bowed head, while the rest of the company looked silently on.
They were puzzled to know what it all meant. Perhaps the elder brothers were envious, and wondered why this mere child should be singled out for special favour. But no one dared to question God’s messenger.
Nothing further happened just then. Samuel returned as he had come by the winding white road, and before long his visit was forgotten as the people settled to their work again.
Saul tries to kill David
Only David, out in the fields, thought more and more about what had happened, and grew more and [folio 13] more certain that it had been a call from God to do some special work for Him. The wonder of it filled his mind, but it never interfered with his work.
There was little time for idle dreaming in the boy’s life. He was as watchful as ever in his care for his sheep and as courageous as ever in guarding them from prowling beasts. Even in his leisure time he was busy too, and there was not one of the sunny hours of daylight that he wasted.
He loved music, and he taught himself to play on the harp, practising so carefully and patiently that his [folio 14] fingers grew most wonderfully skilful. Then he made songs to go to the music, some of the most beautiful songs that ever have been made in all the world. Almost every child to-day knows his beautiful song about the Good Shepherd: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”