Notice

55 As Saul watched David going out to meet the Philistine, he said to Abner, commander of the army, "Abner, whose son is that young man?"
      Abner replied, "As surely as you live, O king, I don't know."

 56 The king said, "Find out whose son this young man is."

 57 As soon as David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with David still holding the Philistine's head.

 58 "Whose son are you, young man?" Saul asked him.
      David said, "I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem." 1 Samuel 17:55-58

Did that strike you as odd?

If you've been following along you'll remember that it was David who calmed Saul's heart by playing his harp. Why didn't he remember him?

As a leader I know the importance of noticing the people around me. Yesterday I was having a conversation with a guy named Danny, who is visiting our church, and we were talking about the large church he used to attend in a different state. I knew of the church and of its reputation, and here's probably why. He said that the Pastor met him briefly once in passing but about a year later as he was walking past the Pastor he said "hey Danny." He noticed. Great leaders and great churches don't treat people as commodities to be used. They see everyone as God's sacred creation and they notice.

Maybe Saul didn't notice because David was in his shepherd's clothes and not in his palace garb. Maybe he was seeing David in a "new light". This time he noticed.

Ever been there?

Those close to you are noticing the change in you? I've noticed that sometimes those God intends to use for His glory will be reintroduced to their close friends in a new light. I've noticed that some can handle the change, while others can't. But they notice a change.

If your life has been radically changed or God is up to something new in you and you're dying to say "I'm not who I was" (great song, by the way), take notice of David and be patient for His reveal.

Slow down today and notice the changes around you?

Are you the change?