Two months ago I had to tell a young teenage girl that her brother who left Casa last year and was a great kid had been shot to death. Today I had to tell the same girl that her mother had just died. I have had to do this far too often.  

The newest boy that we received appears to have some mental issues. We will have him tested.

Psalm 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old, yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor His children begging bread”. David lived a long life and his troubles began when he was young.

1. His father overlooked him. I Samuel 16:10-12. When Samuel asked that Jesse permit his sons to pass by him in order to select a king Jesse just simply did not call David from the fields. He looked at David’s stature od was looking at David’s heart.
2. His brother despised him. I Samuel 17:28-29. “Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when David was speaking to the men when they were facing Goliath. Eliab’s anger was aroused against David. So he put David down by saying David only had a few sheep and that he had only come to the battle field because of pride. David answered “Is there not a cause?”
3. He had been attacked by both bears and lions. I Samuel 17:34-35
4. King Saul threw javelins at David trying to kill him. For many years David would be a fugitive running for his life and living in caves.
5. His wife turned her back on him. II . Samuel 6:16 “Michal despised David in her heart. She would actually divorce David and marry another man.
6. He was betrayed by the city he saved. I Samuel 23:5, 12. David saved the city of Keilah from the Philistine army. But God warned David that when King Saul would come they would surrender David to Saul.
7. His family was kidnapped. In I Samuel 30 David’s family was taken by the Amalekite army. David would pursue them and eventually rescue them.

So David had many instances where God had protected him when he was young.