Established by God: The Difference Between Being Chosen and Being Secure

I Chronicles 14:2
“And David knew that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that his kingdom was highly exalted for the sake of his people Israel.”

There is a quiet but staggering word in this verse: knew. David did not merely hope, assume, or infer that he was king by God’s favor—he knew it. He understood that his throne was not the result of political maneuvering, personal brilliance, or fortunate timing. The LORD Himself had established him.

That insight sets David apart from nearly every other ruler we encounter in the biblical record. In the violent, scheming world of kingship we see throughout II Kings, power is seized through intrigue, betrayal, and bloodshed. Ambitious men claw their way to the top. David did none of this. He was not king because he was clever, ruthless, or lucky. He was king because God put him there—and David recognized that unmistakably.

What a remarkable place to stand. Imagine the confidence that comes from knowing you are where you are because God established you there. Not self-confidence, but God-confidence. The kind that steadies you when circumstances shake and humbles you when success comes. If God placed you in a position, then God will sustain you in it. His guidance will be available. His power will be sufficient. His purposes will be accomplished.

That is a deeply freeing truth.

Yet Scripture is careful to show us that being established by God is not the same as being guaranteed a trouble-free or successful life. Saul, too, was established by God as king over Israel. God granted him victories, blessings, and clear direction—just as He later did for David. But Saul’s pride and fear slowly displaced trust. He rejected God’s will, and in time, God rejected him as king.

So, the question presses in on us: how do we know if God has established us, as He did David?

To begin with, we can be absolutely certain of this—God has established who we are. There are aspects of our lives we did not choose and cannot change: our physical makeup like our eye color or our hair (or lack thereof), our family, our background, our nationality, our era in history. We often resent these unchangeable things, wishing they were different. But Scripture insists they are not accidents. God established them for His glory.

And since God does not make mistakes, those very traits we are tempted to despise are often the instruments He intends to use most powerfully. Whatever eternally significant work God desires to accomplish in and through your life, He will do it through the unchangeables He sovereignly assigned to you. So perhaps it is time we stop warring against ourselves—and start trusting God’s wisdom in how He formed us.

That leads to the harder question: what about the things we can change? Our work, our schedules, our finances, our relationships, our daily decisions. How do we discern whether God has established those as well?

I wish I could tie that up neatly for you here. But I cannot—not without shortchanging the weight of the question.

So, if you will allow me to leave you right there, hopefully with a little anticipation, we will take that up in the next post.