From shepherd to king

When we think of David, we often do so in the light of his exploits as king, and how he was a man after God’s own heart. We see him as one whose praises were sung in the streets, and who commanded the respect of his citizens. But we often forget that this was the guy whose own family considered him insignificant.

When Samuel called Jesse to present his sons before him, David’s own father didn’t think it necessary for him to show his face; all seven of David’s older brothers went to the sacrifice, but David was sent out to look after their sheep. We see Eliab, the oldest, direct this same disdain at David too, speaking harshly to him when he discovers David at the warfront, instead of with the sheep (1 Samuel 17:28).

If you’ve ever felt insignificant in your life, you know that that poison arrow strikes the very core of our being. No matter how much we’d like to believe we can do without the approval of others, everyone needs validation — and patting ourselves on the back only goes so far. How do we come into our own? Take it from the shepherd boy who became God’s anointed king.

1. Consider your heart.

The lesson that God looks at the heart is most often used in connection with judging people by what’s on the outside. It’s true that our looks are not God’s lookout — but what about our hearts? Can we vouch for what’s in them? David’s brothers looked fit to be kings on the outside, but they were deemed unfit to rule when God measured them on the inside.

We are either running away with how well we’ve performed, what we’ve achieved, and how much we’ve accumulated — or labouring under the weight of our own critical self-evaluation. So many Christians try so hard to look like good Christians through their works and words. But if God cares so deeply about our hearts, we have to ask: what’s in them? What motivates or inspires us every day? Why are we ultimately doing what we do? David understood this so well that many of his psalms focus on the state of the heart — whether his own, or that of his enemies — rather than what he accomplished. If God were to search our hearts, what would He find?

If God cares so deeply about our hearts, we have to ask: what’s in them? What motivates or inspires us every day?

2. Be faithful in the little things.

Have you ever wondered what David must have felt, when he alone of his brothers was left out in the field? Did he murmur? Was he upset? Did he feel insignificant? The Bible doesn’t say, but it does tell us that David’s heart was in the right place. He was asked to tend the sheep, and that’s where his concern lay: in being faithful to that call.

We often look into the future and fret — but we forget that today, a day God made and allowed us to see — is just as important as the future. How faithfully we live our todays will define how we live our tomorrows. David faithfully took care of his sheep — and God honoured his faithfulness in the little things by choosing him to be king of one of the greatest nations in the world.

3. Trust Him to equip you.

About 10 years ago, a servant of God, who’d visited our home for lunch, looked at me and said, “I think you’re going to be a great preacher one day.” Without missing a beat, I laughed. I knew all too well how uncomfortable I was with speaking in front of crowds. I could sing or play instruments, but preaching was out of the question. Today, as I look back, I marvel at how God equips those He calls.

David was a shepherd; he had no skills to be a king. In fact, in his very first battle, he did not even know how to wear the required armour or fight with a sword (1 Samuel 17:38-40). But as time went by, God equipped him. We often write ourselves off as incapable or inadequate, because we weigh the odds based on our limited perspectives. We forget that there is a great God who can do great things through us. Throughout the Bible, God used insignificant people to do wonders and miracles. He used Moses, who was unskilled in speech (Exodus 6:30), to lead Israel out of bondage. He used Gideon and 300 soldiers to overcome an army “as numerous as locusts” (Judges 7), and He used tax collectors and fishermen to be the apostles and pillars of the church.

God is not seeking qualified people who can present a fancy resume, but rather humble, faithful followers, whose hearts and minds are fixed on Him. He chooses agents of change — and we can rest assured He will equip them too.

God is not seeking qualified people with fancy resumes, but rather faithful followers, whose hearts are fixed on Him

4. Be a man after His own heart.

More than anything, we need to make an intentional decision to make God preeminent in our lives: to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. Ask David how to do it and he will point us to his Psalms.

The one after God’s own heart is the one who delights in His word, day and night (Psalm 1:2). He calls out to Him in trouble and believes that salvation is from God alone (Psalm 62:1). He waits and trusts in the Lord, whether he’s walking through hills or valleys (Psalm 23:4). He worships the Lord at all times, with all his heart (Psalm 34:1). He repents when he sins (Psalm 51:1). He is humble and knows he is but dust (Psalm 103:14). He hides the word of God in his heart so that he won’t sin against Him (Psalm 119:11). He also knows that when the Lord is his Shepherd, he will want nothing (Psalm 23:1). We chase the world because God is not preeminent in our lives.

The world tells us we will find significance by following our hearts and going the distance to achieve our dreams. The Bible teaches us that God honours those who seek after His own heart. Our dreams will fade away with us one day, but if we seek God, He promises to be found and give us a relationship that will last forever.