Jump Start # 3686

1 Samuel 16:11 “And Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Are these all the children?’ And he said, ‘There remains yet the youngest and behold, he is tending the sheep.’ Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here.’”

Our verse today is God’s introduction of David to us. We do not find him in a classroom, busy studying advanced classes. We do not find him on the battlefields, fighting for the glory of the Lord. Instead, David is out watching sheep. The youngest of a nothing family. He was not even brought in when the prophet wanted to see all the sons. No one would have thought that he’d be the one. Young and watching sheep, doesn’t seem like the credentials for someone who is going to run a nation. What did he know about kingdoms? Would he bankrupt the nation buying stuff for himself? What did he know about military insights and diplomacy with other nations? Why would God pick a kid to govern his people? Wasn’t there anyone else? Wasn’t there any one more qualified?

Some things gradually take place that puts David in the palace. His skill on the harp allowed him to sit before King Saul. That puts him in the palace where he sees the day to day operations of a kingdom. His humble heart allowed the Lord to guide him and lead him to wisdom that would make a difference. Many of he Psalms appear to have been written during these shepherd years of David. Pulling from the night skies, the mountains, the water, David seemed to have a great faith in the Lord.

And, that becomes a great lesson for us:

First, we may not give someone much attention because of their age. Too young, we think. God didn’t see that with David. We may think a person has too little experience. God didn’t with David. Watching sheep is not the same as running a kingdom. Yet, within that young heart, was the insight and wisdom to make the right decisions.

Second, David didn’t waste his time while out in the fields watching sheep. Fewer things could be more boring than watching lazy sheep eat grass all day. No cell phone. No video games. No tablet to watch movies. The hours must have crept like years. Yet, the choices of young David made all the difference. Learning to play that harp would one day put him in the palace. The courage to fight the lion gave him the confidence to fight the giant. He understood that his strength and his victory was not in himself but in the Lord.

Out in the fields watching sheep, David may have dreamed of one day, owning his own house and having his own flocks. But to think that he believed that he would be the king of Israel, is really a stretch. Yet, what he did during those shepherd years prepared his heart and life to serve the Lord.

And, that’s a thought for us. A dumb summer job. A starter job. The boring job of mowing the yard. The thankless job of cleaning your room. No one cares, we think. It doesn’t matter, we tell ourselves. Yet, the choices we make can shape our hearts for the person we will be in twenty years.

Third, there was no one in David’s family that thought he’d be chosen one day to be the king of Israel. Certainly his brothers didn’t think he would. His own father seems surprised that Samuel wants the youngest son to be brought in from watching the sheep. Why him? He’s nothing special.

Our own families can be our biggest discouragement. One must know what they are capable of and plow ahead, even when family tries to talk you out of such things. Our young men must not be discouraged from preaching. When the talk around the kitchen table is about how much money one can make, preaching is tossed to the floor. When the talk is about how much one can make as easily as possible, preaching isn’t brought up. When it is said, “You can do better than be a preacher,” a young man will look for that. God chose David. Not his family. Not his father.

God saw what no one else saw. Oh, to have such eyes. Oh, to give someone a chance. Oh, to have the heart to find something useful to do when the days are long and boring. Dreams—don’t throw water on them. Direct them. Remind them to stay close to the Lord.

David was chosen because God wanted him. A young person can be useful to the Lord. A young person can do what others will not do. David’s youthfulness was a problem for Saul when facing Goliath. It wasn’t for David. It wasn’t for God. He had the experience. More than that, he had the faith. He had what the older ones did not. And so it is today. The younger ones may have a greater faith in the Lord than we older ones. We do well to watch, learn and listen to the young David’s among us today.

There remains the youngest…but what a person he was. He was God’s chosen.

Roger