1 Samuel 17:11-15: a reflection

11When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. 12Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse; and he had eight sons. The man was an elderly old man in the days of Saul. 13The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone after Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14David was the youngest; and the three oldest followed Saul. 15Now David went back and forth from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

As the giant Goliath defies Israel and the whole army trembles in fear, the passage turns aside to introduce David, the youngest son of Jesse, and tells us what he was doing: he went back and forth from Saul's camp to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. While the great crisis loomed and the army stood paralyzed, David was faithfully tending sheep, doing the humble, ordinary task assigned to him. He was faithful in the small things before he was called to the great.

Notice what David was doing before his great moment: faithfully tending his father's sheep. He was not idle, or seeking greatness; he was doing the humble, ordinary task before him, caring for the sheep. And this faithfulness in the small, unseen task was, in God's providence, preparing him; in tending the sheep, he had learned the trust in God and the skill that would serve him against the giant. God was preparing him for the great through faithfulness in the small.

That is worth taking to heart, for we can despise the small, ordinary tasks before us, longing for some greater moment, and neglect faithfulness in the humble things. But David was faithful in tending sheep before he was called to face the giant; and his faithfulness in the small prepared him for the great. God often prepares us for larger things through faithfulness in small ones. Do not despise the humble, ordinary tasks before you, longing only for some greater moment; be faithful in the small things, as David was faithful in tending sheep. God may be preparing you, through your faithfulness in the humble tasks, for larger things you cannot yet see. The great moment came to David after, and out of, his faithfulness in the small; be faithful in the ordinary task before you, trusting that God prepares us for the great through faithfulness in the small, as he prepared the shepherd boy who would face the giant.

Lord, as Goliath defied Israel and the army trembled, the passage turns aside to introduce David, the youngest son, tending his father's sheep at Bethlehem; while the great crisis loomed and the army stood paralyzed, David was faithfully doing the humble, ordinary task assigned to him. Show me what he was doing before his great moment: faithfully tending sheep. He was not idle, or seeking greatness; he was doing the humble task before him. And this faithfulness in the small, unseen task was, in your providence, preparing him for the great. Take that to my heart, for I can despise the small, ordinary tasks before me, longing for some greater moment, and neglect faithfulness in the humble things. But David was faithful in tending sheep before he faced the giant; and his faithfulness in the small prepared him for the great. You often prepare us for larger things through faithfulness in small ones. Keep me from despising the humble, ordinary tasks before me, longing only for some greater moment; help me be faithful in the small things, as David was faithful in tending sheep. You may be preparing me, through my faithfulness in the humble tasks, for larger things I cannot yet see. Help me be faithful in the ordinary task before me, Lord, trusting that you prepare us for the great through faithfulness in the small, as you prepared the shepherd boy who would face the giant.