15 but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father's sheep at Bethlehem.
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
17 Now Jesse said to his son David, "Take this ephah [a] of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. 18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. [b] See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance [c] from them. 19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines."
20 Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry.
1 Sam 17:15-20
We are all probably familiar with David's valor, but what about his humility and obedience?
David had reached the pinnacle, he was playing the palace!
Think about that a minute, he had gone from tending sheep as the youngest of 8 brothers, can you imagine he got all the crappy jobs (pun intended), to playing his harp before the king.
Ever been there? You've gone from such a lowly position to the top, but have you ever gone back? Or did you think you were above that?
David went back and forth, sheep, palace, sheep, palace, sheep…you get the idea. He never thought he was too good to do the menial task; that they were beneath him.
David did not forget his primary calling of his sheep over being with someone of prominence. He knew his sheep needed him more than the king; wouldn't we say something like "but the king needs me!" He even made arrangements for another shepherd to watch over them when his father sent him out on an errand.
David waited on God's timing. He didn't just "seize the opportunity" to be right there as Saul's musician, if he would have he might have forever been known as a musician. By withdrawing into obscurity David was able to emerge and be seen with fresh eyes as a warrior.
David served his father and was obedient in his instructions. He went out on an errand without knowing it would lead to his destiny.
This has so much significance for me because I want to be a "man after God's own heart" like David and I can relate and learn from what David went through.
Over the last eighteen years I went from a "broken road" experience, to being a part of a church plant of 39 people meeting in a mall, to watching that family grow to several thousand, to watching God transform a community, to being an "unschooled, ordinary man" who was used by God to touch others, to speaking and traveling to the ends of the earth, to reaching "the palace", at least in the eyes of the church world.
But God asked us to go on an errand. Not to bask in entitlement and comfort in the palace, but to go and tend his sheep. Not to sit with people of prominence, but to go and serve the least of these. Not to be seen as pastors of a mega church, but to serve where no one knew us; which can feel like obscurity.
God help me to serve you obediently
without delay and in humility. Thanks for rekindling my passion and may I emerge as a warrior for you!
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