This is a simplified version of the Bible story found in 1 Samuel 16:14-23, written for children to understand. For the original version, please refer to the Bible passage.
A long, long time ago, there was a man named Saul who was the king of Israel. But one day, God’s Spirit left Saul and he was tormented by an evil spirit. Saul’s helpers said to him, “We need to find someone who can play music to make you feel better.” They went looking for a good musician and found a young man named David who lived in a town called Bethlehem.
David was really good at playing the lyre, a kind of instrument like a small harp. He was also very brave and smart, and God was with him. So, Saul’s helpers went to David’s father, Jesse, and asked him to send David to play music for Saul.
Jesse sent David to Saul with some bread, wine, and a young goat as a gift. When David arrived, Saul liked him right away and made him his helper. Whenever the evil spirit came to torment Saul, David played his lyre to calm him down. Saul was happy and the evil spirit left him alone.
Saul was so happy with David that he asked Jesse if David could stay and work for him all the time. Jesse agreed, and David became a trusted helper of Saul. So whenever David played his music, Saul felt better and the bad spirit went away.
Biblical Lessons
- God can use our talents to help others.
- We should help people who are suffering, even if they are our enemies.
- God can work in mysterious ways, using unexpected people or situations to accomplish His purposes.
Related Stories
David’s Kindness to Mephibosheth
Must-Read Christian Books
The Cost of Discipleship
A penetrating look at Jesus' call to follow Him, contrasting cheap grace with true, costly discipleship.
View on Amazon
The Pilgrim's Progress
A classic allegory of the Christian journey from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City, saturated with Scripture.
View on Amazon
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God
Shows how God's sovereignty in salvation fuels, rather than hinders, faithful evangelism.
View on Amazon
The Discipline of Grace
Shows how God's grace and our disciplined effort work together in sanctification.
View on Amazon
Redemption Accomplished and Applied
A concise, biblical study of Christ's atonement and the application of salvation to believers.
View on Amazon
Morning and Evening
Devotional readings for each day that point believers to Christ and His promises.
View on Amazon
The Heidelberg Catechism
A beloved Reformation catechism that teaches comfort in Christ through a Q&A format.
View on Amazon
The Westminster Shorter Catechism
Summarizes key doctrines of Scripture in concise questions and answers.
View on Amazon
The Westminster Confession of Faith
A historic confession that systematically sets forth Reformed theology from Scripture.
View on Amazon
Christ-Centered Worship
Traces historic worship patterns and shows how to shape Christ-focused services today.
View on Amazon
Total Truth
Equips believers to see all of life through a biblical worldview and challenge secular thinking.
View on Amazon
Christ of the Covenants
Explains the biblical covenants and how they reveal Christ and God's plan of redemption.
View on Amazon
Reformed Dogmatics (Single Volume Abridgement)
A rich, Reformed systematic theology that is deeply biblical and Christ-centered.
View on Amazon
The Christian Life
A clear, doctrinally rich overview of salvation and Christian living.
View on Amazon
The Discipline of Spiritual Discernment
Teaches believers how to distinguish truth from error using Scripture.
View on Amazon
The Gospel and Personal Evangelism
Encourages and equips Christians to share the gospel faithfully and simply.
View on Amazon
Idols of the Heart
Helps believers identify and repent of heart-idols through the lens of Scripture.
View on Amazon
This Momentary Marriage
Shows how marriage is designed to display the covenant love of Christ and His church.
View on Amazon