"The Shepherd Boy"

When we think of David, we think of the brave young shepherd boy who defeated Goliath with a single stone. But David’s story doesn’t end there. From a young boy tending to sheep, God chose David to become the King of Israel, a leader of people.

The Bible tells us that with love and skill, David, the shepherd boy cared for his flock. This same love and skill was also seen in King David's care for his people. We can learn from this example that effective leadership requires skillful hands and a pure heart. These same attributes can be seen in the profession of shepherding. Flocks are dependent on the shepherd for guidance, provision, and protection. David’s experience as a shepherd was the perfect training for his eventual role as King of Israel. By taking care of sheep, David was learning the necessary skills to become a leader of people.

Psalm 78: 70-72 reads, “He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.” God chose David to be a leader of people, not just of sheep. David was taken from the sheepfolds and “brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.” This shows us that David’s experience shepherding was the training ground for his future plans by God.

The Bible also teaches us that effective leadership is more than just having skillful hands and a pure heart. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is safety.” This teaches us that a leader must not only have the right skills and a pure heart, but should also be wise enough to seek the counsel of others.

Proverbs 16:9 says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” This scripture reminds us that we can plan and prepare for our future, but ultimately it is God who directs our paths. We can look to David’s example to see that God can take us from the most humble of beginnings to the highest of positions.

Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.” This is a reminder of the importance of having wise and godly counsel. David had the counsel of Samuel the prophet, and this was an aid to his success. There is no shame in asking for help. We all need to seek wise counsel to help us on our journey.

David’s example is a reminder that we should not take our present situation lightly. We never know what God has in store for us in the future. We may be going through a difficult and humbling experience now, but it could be the training ground for our future plans by God. Do your best in your current situation! Seek God and ask to have skillful hands and a pure heart. If we can apply these principles to our own lives, we can be effective leaders in whatever situation God has called us to! ©Rita Larson 11/27/2023

#ShepherdBoy #SkillfulHands #PureHeart #OnWordandUpWord

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