Prior to David’s anointing, he had been in the bush. That bush should have made David smelly, dirty and unkempt; it should have given him scars and skin blemishes; that bush should have affected David; but he still came in to meet Samuel, looking good with a beautiful countenance; what he had been through did not affect him; what happened to him didn’t happen in him. The mess he had been through did not mess him up.
Friend, you will not look like what you have been through; you will not be a reflection of what you suffered; you will not look like the betrayals you suffered; you will not look like the rejections, disappointments, failures, mockery, backstabs, challenges, etc you have been through; you may have passed through the fires of life, but you will come forth as gold; you may have been through a lot, but you won’t look like it.
Isn’t it amazing when people see you after you have been through a lot, but they think and say that all you have done is to enjoy? Isn’t it depressing too, when people see you, and can literally tell that you have been through the high and low waters? Today, I speak over you: the same grace that shielded David from what he went through will shield you from the negative impacts of what you have been through.
On the flipside, try not to wear your past challenges, mistakes, failures, etc like an apron that must be seen by everyone. Not everybody needs to know your story; not everyone needs to hear about your pain, sorrow, disappointments, disgrace, delay, denial, etc when it is ongoing. As the grace of God shields you, do not be the one to advertise your sad experiences when you are still passing through them.
Embrace the grace of God that was at work in the life of David; and it will keep you from wearing your sad experiences like a garment.