Established by God

After David was anointed by God to be the next King of Israel he didn't rush right out and claim his throne. He waited patiently for God to establish him. He trusted God to take care of him and knew that God would put him on the throne. If you looked at his situation by just the 5 senses it did not look promising--David was a shepherd boy (12-13 years old at the time of the anointing) a young man possibly 17 when he felled the great Goliath, the King liked him at first but then became jealous and tried to kill him numerous times. He clung to God's Word and trusted in Him. If David hadn't always looked to God for direction he probably would have buckled under the pressure. David went to God when he had decisions to make.

I Samuel 23
:1 Then they [Abiathar, grandson of Ahimelech, & Co.] told David, saying,
        Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah,
        and they rob the threshingfloors.
:2 Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying,
        Shall I go and smite these Philistines?
    And the LORD said unto David,
        Go, and smite the Philistines,
        and save Keilah.
:3 And David's men said unto him,
        Behold, we be afraid here in Judah:
        how much more then if we come to Keilah
            against the armies of the Philistines?
:4 Then David enquired of the LORD yet again.
    And the LORD answered him and said,
        Arise, go down to Keilah;
        for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
:5 So David and his men went to Keilah,
    and fought with the Philistines,
    and brought away their cattle,
    and smote them with a great slaughter.
    So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

David is faced with more than one dilemma here. His countrymen are in danger and even though he wants to go help and would like to just jump up and go save the day he asks God first. He knew that to win without heavy casualties he needed God's help. God tells him to go ahead. However, his second dilemma is his soldiers, they were afraid. So, instead of trying to convince them with his own cunning, great oratory skill and good looks he goes back to God. God must have told him what to say to his men because they overcome their fear, believed, went to battle and victory.

:6 And it came to pass,
    when Abiathar
        the son of Ahimelech
    fled to David to Keilah,
    that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
:7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah.
    And Saul said,
        God hath delivered him into mine hand;
        for he is shut in,
            by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
:8 And Saul called all the people together to war,
    to go down to Keilah,
    to besiege David and his men.

God didn't tell Saul any such thing! Saul didn't even ask God if he should go after David! However, it looks good to say that God had delivered David into his hands. One other thing: an ephod is a linen over-garment with pockets and stones called Urim that they used to toss down and God will tell them yes or no-also known as "yes or no stones".

:9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him;
    and he said to Abiathar the priest,
        Bring hither the ephod.
:10 Then said David,
        O LORD God of Israel,
        thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah,
            to destroy the city for my sake.
:11   Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand?
        will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard?
        O LORD God of Israel,
            I beseech thee,
        tell thy servant.
    And the LORD said,
        He will come down.
            [Well that is a fine way to treat someone that is helping defeat your enemy]
:12 Then said David,
        Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?
    And the LORD said,
        They will deliver thee up. [Well that is a fine way to treat the conquering army]
:13 Then David and his men,
        which were about six hundred,
    arose and departed out of Keilah,
    and went whithersoever they could go.
    And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah;
    and he forbare to go forth.
:14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds,
    and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph.
    And Saul sought him every day,
    but God delivered him not into his hand.

God protected David from the King and his army, that is what kept him safe. David then continues to move and hide from Saul and his army rather than fight against God's anointed. He has respect for Saul and who he his even though his actions are off the Word. David was willing to let God deliver the Kingdom unto him rather than take it. David even had several chances to capture Saul but he didn't do it:

I Samuel 24
:1 And it came to pass,
    when Saul was returned from following the Philistines,
    that it was told him, saying,
        Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.
:2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel,
    and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.
:3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way,
        where was a cave;
    and Saul went in to cover his feet: [to go relieve himself]
    and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.
:4 And the men of David said unto him,
        Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee,
            Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand,
                that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.
    Then David arose,
    and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.
:5 And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him,
        because he had cut off Saul's skirt.
:6 And he said unto his men,
    The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master,
        the LORD'S anointed,
    to stretch forth mine hand against him,
    seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.
:7 So David stayed his servants with these words,
    and suffered them not to rise against Saul.
    But Saul rose up out of the cave,
    and went on his way.

David could have captured Saul! He was really close. He listened to his men misconstrue God's words to him and cut off the lappet or wing of Saul's robe. He didn't consider Saul to be an enemy; he was still God's anointed, he makes that point repeatedly.

David then follows Saul out of the cave and calls him. When Saul turns around David bows himself to the ground out of respect and reverence. Then David asks Saul why is he believing others who have said that David wants to hurt him, he had no intention of doing so. David tells him he intends to do not evil against him even though he had the opportunity. David continues in I Samuel 24:

:15 The LORD therefore be judge,
    and judge between me and thee,
    and see,
    and plead my cause,
    and deliver me out of thine hand.
:16 And it came to pass,
    when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul,
    that Saul said,
        Is this thy voice,
        my son David?
    And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept.
:17 And he said to David,
        Thou art more righteous than I:
            for thou hast rewarded me good,
            whereas I have rewarded thee evil.
:18   And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me:
            forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand,
            thou killedst me not.
:19           For if a man find his enemy,
                will he let him go well away?
            wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day.
:20   And now, behold,
        I know well that thou shalt surely be king,
        and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.
:21 Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD,
        that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me,
        and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.
:22 And David sware unto Saul.
    And Saul went home;
    but David and his men gat them up unto the hold.

Saul realizes that God will establish David upon the throne. Who does the establishing? God does. The word establish is the Hebrew word quwm which means 'to rise up' and is used as: rise up, rear up (as in grow up--mature), succeed, establish, strengthen, etc. God does the establishing-that is the important part. We are faithful to Him and he raises us up.

Deuteronomy 28
:9 The LORD shall establish thee an holy people unto himself,
        as he hath sworn unto thee,
    if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God,
    and walk in his ways.

Nathan the profit speaks to David after Saul has died and he is king over Judah and Israel:

II Samuel 7
:8 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David,
        Thus saith the LORD of hosts,
        I took thee from the sheepcote,
            from following the sheep,
        to be ruler over my people,
            over Israel:
:9     And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest,
        and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight,
        and have made thee a great name,
            like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.

:12   And when thy days be fulfilled,
        and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,
        I will set up thy seed after thee,
            which shall proceed out of thy bowels,
        and I will establish his kingdom.
:13   He shall build an house for my name,
        and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
:14   I will be his father,
        and he shall be my son.
        If he commit iniquity,
        I will chasten him with the rod of men,
            and with the stripes of the children of men:
:15   But my mercy shall not depart away from him,
        as I took it from Saul,
            whom I put away before thee.
:16   And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee:
        thy throne shall be established for ever.
:17 According to all these words,
        and according to all this vision,
    so did Nathan speak unto David.

We see in the rest of the word that being of the household of David is mentioned frequently. David believed God and was a man after God's own heart. He is our example of what it is like to be a man after God's heart. He wasn't perfect and did make mistakes and we can learn from them. So, let God establish you.