CAMP THEME: “UNLIKELY”
"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have
rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but
the Lord sees the heart.” 1 SAMUEL 16;7

DAILY BIBLE STUDY FOCUSES

DAY 1: AN UNLIKELY CHOICE
We typically remember David for his greatest moments — He was a mighty warrior and the
King of Israel. But his highlight reel can make us miss how his story started. By his culture’s
standards, David was an unlikely choice to be anointed king over God’s people. He was the
youngest son in his family and he lived as a shepherd out in the fields with his sheep. Even
his own father did not consider him a likely choice to rule over people. Though others
dismissed David, God did not. He saw David’s heart and chose him to be king. Yet, David
isn’t God’s only unlikely choice. God has a habit of choosing unlikely people for His
purposes — even people like us.
DAY 2: AN UNLIKELY HOPE
David’s fight with Goliath was the first underdog story ever. David, a teenage shepherd
with no real weapons and no armor, versus Goliath, a Giant and Philistine war champion.
David walked into this battle armed only with a sling and some smooth stones, but his
confidence was not in his weapon-of-choice — his hope was fully set in God to bring down
Goliath. David was an unlikely warrior equipped with an unlikely hope. As we fight our
own battles, we often feel unequipped, unprepared, and unworthy, but trusting in God
leads us to walk in confidence. God is faithful and worthy of our hope.

DAY 3: AN UNLIKELY RESPONSE
It’s easy to think that David had it all together since Scripture refers to him as a man after
God’s own heart, but David was far from perfect. He had a sinful, sexual relationship with a
married woman named Bathsheba and did everything he could to cover up what he’d
done, even when that meant having her husband killed. David’s response to what he did
and God’s response to what David did are both quite unlikely. Instead of being defensive
or indifferent when confronted about what happened, David responded in repentance.
And though God was grieved by David’s sin, He responded with kindness and compassion.
David messed up big time — and we have, too. When we repent, we choose the unlikely
response to our sin, and we’re met by the grace of Jesus, whose unlikely response forgives
us and restores us.
DAY 4: AN UNLIKELY LOVE
Being someone after God’s heart spills over into our relationships with others. David had a
life-giving, intimate friendship with a man named Jonathan, and a tumultuous, exhausting
relationship with a king named Saul — Jonathan was David’s best friend, while Saul was
David’s worst enemy. It’s common for relationships to be more self-seeking than selfsacrificing,
yet in each of these relationships David displays an unlikely love. When we
understand the gravity of God’s sacrificial love for us, we become open to loving others —
friend or foe — in the same way.