11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” Jesse replied, “There is still one left, the youngest; he is tending the sheep.”
1 Samuel 16:11
Before there is victory, there’s a time of testing, before accomplishment lies a time of preparation…
The notion that each and every one of us desires to live a life of meaning, making a contribution to the Kingdom of God, is something that has been placed inside of us by the Father. No-one is merely born to live out their years from beginning to end without making some impact along the way. This desire to leave behind a legacy of some sort is embedded in our DNA.
But for this to take place, there has to be a time of preparation that unfolds before us. It is something everyone has to go through before they can leave behind something many would consider to be
noteworthy of a life well spent.
The time of preparation can easily come in the form of the everyday mundane process of our lives, but it can also come in form of the hardships we weren’t ready to face – an unexpected event that might have suddenly sprung up on us. Over the next few days, I would like us to look at these two aspects of preparation and how they help develop us for the bigger moments in our lives.
We spend some more time looking at the life of David, someone who had God’s attention from a young age. While it is easy for us to recognize the preparation that took place before he become a king within the big moments, there were years and years of simple mundane living that formed part of the overall picture of his life.
If asked what makes a great leader, many will highlight some of the following characteristics: a person who knows how to take charge, a person who is bold and at the same time caring and humble in spirit.
One can picture a young David heading off into the field having to tend a flock of sheep – what boredom must have filled him as he sat and stared day in and day out at a bunch of fluffy mindless creatures who would stand still on a specific spot, eating grass and sleeping. Many young people today would have simply left those sheep at some point or another while heading off elsewhere to do something more exciting.
It is in this mundane act that we find a heart of caring being shaped within David’s life. Little did David know that God was observing him to see whether he would find something more adventurous to do or be willing to look after this flock.
King David was a man who cared for his people; everyone who served under him found favour and their lives were blessed because of him. In that mundane life of his, where his willingness to look after these animals and bring them back home safely, was where he displayed a true heart of a king.
My friend, there are many mundane acts we do for years on end that could feel pretty meaningless at times, yet these small moments are often the ones that display and shape us for a specific season that lies ahead. Don’t be too quick to put these things aside.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father. I often get caught up thinking that what I am busy with is nothing more than mundane. Help me see that everything I do forms part of my preparation for what You have called me to. I pray this in Jesus name. Amen.