The Lord God Almighty used a young shepherd boy who would later become the renowned King David to play the harp for Saul whenever the evil spirit troubled him.
“Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul’s servants said to him, ‘Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.’ So, Saul said to his servants, ‘Provide for me a man who can play well and bring him to me.’ One of the young men answered, ‘Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.’ Therefore, Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, ‘Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.’ And Jesse took a donkey laden with bread and a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them by David his son to Saul. And David came to Saul and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, ‘Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.’ And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So, Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him (Samuel 16: 14-23).
According to the biblical account in the Book of 1 Samuel, King Saul of Israel was troubled by an evil spirit that tormented him. Saul’s servants advised him to find someone who could play the harp skillfully, believing that soothing music might alleviate his distress. Whenever David played the harp, the soothing melodies and the skillful way in which he played brought comfort to Saul. The presence of the music would drive away the harmful spirit, providing refreshment and relief to the troubled king and as a result, the evil spirit would depart from him. The power of David’s music brought a sense of peace and calmness. I am grateful for the anointed and skillful musicians and singers who have been blessed with the incredible ability to usher us into the sacred presence of the Holy One of Israel. You, as His instrument, are indeed priceless, and I am sincerely thankful for your ministry!