The Shepherd Boy
Category: Integrity & Godly Character
Key Passage: 1 Samuel 16
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024
1 Samuel chapter 16. We are starting a new series tonight on the life of David, the life of King David. And just a little bit of an introduction tonight. We’re going to try to pull out just three conclusions. We’re going to talk tonight specifically—the whole series is the life of David. Tonight will be David as a shepherd boy, the shepherd boy.
That will be the title for tonight: The Shepherd Boy. We’re going to start over in 1 Samuel chapter 16. How many of you have at least heard of King David in the Bible? How many of our young people, I’m just curious, have at least heard of King David?
Just curious. Brother Tim wants to be included in that young person category there, you know, and young at heart still, right, Brother Tim? Amen, amen.
1 Samuel, chapter 16. We’re just going to read that one verse to kind of get us going, verse number 13. 1 Samuel 16 and verse number 13.
Let’s all stand, if you would, please, as I read the Word of God together. We’ll just take off. 1 Samuel 16, verse number 13 of God’s Word: “Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.”
Let’s go to the Lord in prayer as we get started tonight. Dear Father, Lord, I do ask that you would use this series to grow us, Father. Thank you, Lord, that you let us look into the life of this great man. Lord, give us a desire for your Word and for truth, and to learn and grow from it all. Father, have us to put aside distractions and focus on you and your Word. And Lord, we’ll thank you for what you do. We ask for all these things in the name of Jesus. We pray. Amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
Let me just give you a couple things by way of introduction. Actually, the name David is used in the Bible more than any other name. Now, if you look up God, “God” is used more, and “Lord” is used more. But as far as names, it’s actually—and I almost hate to say it, but it’s true—it’s actually used more than the name Jesus, and more than Moses and so on. It’s the name David. David is found so much in the Bible.
David is by far known as the greatest king of Israel. Even if you were to go to the nation of Israel now—how many want to go to Israel one day, to the Bible lands? Yeah, we’re going to take us a church trip over there when we get this building built, amen. You know, we’re going to go over there one of these days. We’re going to take over the joint—no, I’m joking about that. We’re going to go to Israel one day. But if you were to ask them their greatest king, I think by far all of them would say David. Actually, on their flag or whatnot, they have the Star of David.
Everybody kind of knows the greatest king they had. And a very sad thing: the Nazis would use the Star of David to distinguish the Jewish people. But David, when he was the king of Israel, he ushered in what historians call the golden age for Israel. Just a great king. He expanded the borders greatly. In fact, Israel is not near as big today as it was back in the day of David. Man, he just made it a lot bigger when David was king. When David was king, Israel became one of the world powers. And David, what a great, great king David was. In fact, his kingdom will never end because Christ will sit on the throne of David. Remember Saul? God said, “I’m going to take the kingdom from him.” David—He said, “No, it’ll always be in your lineage through Christ.” King David, just a great, great man.
He was not only a great king, but he was also a great military man. Of course, we all know David killed who? Everybody help me out? Goliath. Yeah, yeah, he’s known for that. From a young age, he killed a lion and a bear when he was a shepherd. Saul was trying to get David killed, and he said, “Look, you go kill 100 of those Philistine things, and I’ll give you a daughter.” David went and killed 200 of them. Just a military man, a man of power and might, and led many battles. He led many mighty men. Eventually, they said, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” Help me out.
And I’m sure you’re probably reading the Bible on your phone or something, but if you look up Jacob and everybody over there and Braided and everybody, brother, let me get you looking up. I know I’m ugly, but look at me here a little bit, all right? There you go. Thank you so much. You didn’t have to shake your head, yes, but I said I’m ugly now. You didn’t have to do that.
He’s a great king, he’s a great military man, but not only that, it’s amazing the variety he had. He was a great poet. Loved music. He could play the harp well. He penned—we don’t know sometimes. Somebody says, “Well, they penned all the Psalms.” We think he penned about 75 or 77 of the Psalms out of 150. It’s according to who you talk to how many, but he penned about half of them that God used him to pen. Of course, that was Israel’s songbook. But David, he is just a great, great man.
Maybe his greatest accomplishment, in my opinion, was he was known twice. The Bible says this about him: He was a man after God’s own heart. God said that about him. In fact, He says, “So I’m going to take the kingdom because I found a man after mine own heart.” Then over in the New Testament, he’s a man after God’s own heart. Maybe that would be, in my opinion, maybe, and then being in the lineage of Christ. Okay.
But this saying, David—let’s just try to get a couple things in about David here. We’re going to look at the very beginning. He’s mentioned twice in the book of Ruth, but that’s just really genealogies almost. It was Boaz and Obed and Jesse and then David, you know, kind of like that. And so the first really time he’s mentioned as a person, we’re going to read it. We’re going to go back over here to 1 Samuel 16, all right? Everybody look over there in 1 Samuel 16. We’re going to read a little bit, so don’t lose me. Think with me, focus with me as it reads. We’ll read a little bit in the Bible here and kind of talk about it for a moment.
We’re in 1 Samuel 16. We’re going to start in verse number one here and kind of get this leading up to David arriving on the scene in the Bible here, all right? First Samuel 16. If you’re there, would you say amen? Good deal, good deal. We’re in the first verse of 1 Samuel 16. Here we go: “And the Lord said unto Samuel, ‘How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.’”
Let me just say a word about Jesse. I don’t think Jesse was a rich guy. Bethlehem is known as just a small town. Micah 5:2 talks about where Jesus would be born. It kind of just talks about a small little town. And Jesse had some sheep, we know. He had eight boys, and so he had a lot of groceries to put on the table—eight boys, you know. And I don’t know. I’m just trying to make a little bit of equivalent to early in time. It might be a guy way out, way up. Anybody know where Liberty is? Liberty Hills? Yeah, so, you know, way out in the boondocks like that. He’s got some cattle. That’d be Jesse, I would think a little bit in my mind.
So he said, “Hey, Samuel, go over there to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided me a king among his sons.”
“And Samuel said, ‘How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.’”
“And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with thee, and say, I’m come to sacrifice to the Lord.’”
So get you, get you an ox or cow, if you can, go over there and tell them you’re going to sacrifice. You have another motive also, but that’s what you’re going to tell them.
Verse number three: “And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do: and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.”
And Samuel did that which the Lord spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Comest thou peaceably?” I don’t know that Bethlehem was the best town in all the world at the time. I mean, the preacher, the man of God, the prophet, coming there. And they didn’t say, “Well, praise the Lord, man, he’s coming here! He’s coming!” And they kind of trembled at it. Now, you could take that a lot of different ways, but just weren’t excited about him coming. And then they said, “Are you coming peaceably?”
Verse number five: “And he said, ‘Peaceably. I’m come to sacrifice unto the Lord. Sanctify yourselves.’” That means, in the Old Testament, under the law, go get a bath, put some new clothes on, get cleaned up, right? Sanctify yourselves. Notice that. “And come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons.
Now, interesting, he told them all, “Sanctify yourselves,” but he sanctified Jesse and his sons and called them to the sacrifice. Let me just explain a bit here. It seems the best we can understand that: go tell them you’re going to sacrifice and have a sacrifice, but then after that, there’s a portion of that ox or cattle that they could eat. And so call—called Jesse and his boys, and he sanctified them over here to eat with you afterwards, part of the sacrifice. He has a secret agenda, and he’s trying to anoint someone to be king, all right?
Verse number six: “And it came to pass, when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, ‘Surely the Lord’s anointed is before him.’” Now, Eliab was the oldest of the eight boys, the oldest. The Bible often mentions the oldest. He had the birthright. He was the firstborn. He would kind of be the leader of the family, typically. But it is amazing how many times God went against that so often you’ll find that in the Bible. And I don’t think it was just that; he said, “Hey, he’s the one.” Later on, it looks like he was tall and built pretty good and all that. Let’s keep reading here. Surely the oldest one, Eliab—that’s it right there.
Verse number seven: “But the Lord said unto Samuel, ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him.’” It kind of smacks. All right, he was the firstborn. Let me take a look at him. I looked at him, but I refused him. I mean, He did use that word. He took a look at him. And maybe Samuel a little bit said, “Well, Saul, remember, the first king, Saul, he was head and shoulders above the rest, big old tall fellow. Well, maybe the next king’s going to be like that.” You know, it’s kind of in your mind, gets your mind going that way. And I said, “No, I looked at that boy; that’s not the one. I refused him. Don’t look at his height and all the rest of that, his countenance.”
Let’s keep going: “For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” That’s where God looks. God, God’s looking for a king. God said, “I’m going to check out their heart.” Nobody else knows what your heart’s like. God does. In fact, if not careful, it’ll trick us. But a heart—God looks at our heart.
Verse number eight: Very interesting here. Watch the wording of this thing here. Then, what’s the next word? “Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel.” We think it was kind of going from the oldest to the youngest here. “And he said, ‘Neither hath the Lord chosen this.’” Then, what’s the next word? “Jesse made Shammah to pass by.” And he said, “Neither hath the Lord chosen this.” Again, what’s the next word? “Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.” It’s kind of just smacks of Dad said, “Come on, boy, come on. All right, it’s not the oldest. All right, next one. All right, minute, Dad, shoot me out. All right, come on, all you guys.” None of them. And he said, “Let me get these boys to pass by again.” Jesse was doing that. Notice that again there. He says that.
Verse number 10: “Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel.” That was kind of like, “One of these boys got to be it.” Then the last part of verse number 10: “And Samuel said unto Jesse, ‘The Lord hath not chosen these.’” Now, I know what it says in verse number 11. “And Samuel”—not Jesse this time—“said unto Jesse, ‘Are here all thy children?’” And he said, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.”
That’s interesting. I didn’t realize until today, a lot of reading as far as commentaries, Bible scholars, how a little bit the shepherd was a very lowly position. It’s almost a little bit of a shameful position. Let’s put that boy out there in the woods. You’ve got to keep him away from everybody. He just go out there and make you just keep the sheep out there in the woods. Jesse brought those boys by twice. “Come on, one of these it.” Samuel had to say, “That’s not it.” “Do you have any more?”
Wouldn’t that make you feel good for your dad to do that to you? Well, yes. David was the youngest. Maybe they had someone to do with it, but a lot of times the youngest, you know, Matt, let’s get him out there. Samuel had to say, “You’ve got to have another one somewhere.” He said, “Yeah, he’s out there out there with the sheep.”
I believe it’s verse number 11 where we’re having: “Samuel said unto Jesse, ‘Are here all thy children?’ He said, ‘There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep.’” It’s amazing Samuel felt like he had to say this here. “And Samuel said unto Jesse, ‘Send and fetch for him; for we will not sit down till he come hither.’” I mean, a man of God said that for a reason. Had to be pretty bold about it. “We’re not going to sit down and eat till you get him.” Just kind of smacks of kind of, it’s not what Jesse planned or thought or wanted. He sent these other boys by twice.
Verse number 12: “And he sent, and brought him in.” Now, he was ruddy. I think of that word “ruddy.” Some will say it has to do with red. Some say he had red hair. Some say it has to do with red cheeks, like it’s healthy. I tend to think the red cheek thing, but take it how you want to. “Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.” He looked good. Don’t mean you can’t look good on the outside; the heart is what matters, though. “And the Lord said, ‘Arise, anoint him: for this is he.’”
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him. It’s interesting how the Bible words it: in the midst of his brethren. Now, almost kind of smacks, Dad said, “Man, bring those boys back. One of them’s got to be in—no, there’s got to be another one. We’re not going to sit down and eat too. Go get him.” All right, all right. And God said, “David, I’m going to get you anointed right in the middle of the brothers there, right smack dab in the midst of his brethren. I’m going to know what you’re keen.” In the midst of the brethren, and here’s the best part: “And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.”
Hey, God said, “I want that boy that maybe, it just seems like maybe he had forgotten about it or put down a little bit or passed over, didn’t want him to have him there at that key moment.” But God said, “That’s the one I want, and I want him anointed in the midst of his brothers.” Okay.
Now, here’s an amazing thing. It seems—it seems the best we understand—that after he got anointed, you know where he went to? Back out with the sheep. He didn’t sit on the throne until years and years later. But he goes back out there and is just so known in his early days of being a shepherd. He’s associated with that so very much. He’s anointed, he goes back out in the woods watching the sheep.
A little bit later on in the story, Saul, the evil spirit came on, and they needed someone that could play the harp. Watch how they described David. Look in verse number 19, verse number 19, chapter number 16: “Wherefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse, and said, ‘Send me David thy son, which is with the sheep.’” Everybody knew: David’s going to be out there with the sheep. He was just a shepherd boy. And he’s known. You want to find David? Go out there with the sheep. That’s where he’s going to be.
He goes. He plays for Saul. We have a little description of Goliath. Look in verse number 17—I believe it is, verse number 17 of chapter number 17. I’m sorry, verse number 15 of chapter 17. Verse number 15: “But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” Just notice how much he’s back out there to take care of. He wants to make sure they’re fed. Taking care of the sheep. It wasn’t even his own sheep; it was his dad’s sheep. Maybe he’s going to make sure those sheep get fat.
Look down in verse number 20, verse number 20 here, chapter number 17: “And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with the keeper, and took, and went, and so on and so on.” But he made sure somebody’s watching the sheep. Can’t leave the sheep alone. Somebody’s got to be there. He’s taking care of the sheep. He has a job to do, and he’s going to do it.
Look now in verse number 28, verse number 28, same chapter: “And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spake to the men: and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, ‘Why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.’”
Now, I want you just to notice how the oldest brother kind of puts him down: “You don’t have a great big herd out there. You got a couple of sheep out there in the wilderness. I know what’s going on with you. Know what’s going on in your heart.” And an interesting high accuser—by the other people don’t know your heart always. And the oldest brother talks about the naughtiness of his heart. And God said, “That’s why I want him because of his heart.”
But I want you just kind of see how he’s known so much as a shepherd and his sheep and watching the few sheep out there. He’s always taking care of the sheep. He’s doing his job. He’s diligent at it. It’s prudent in it. It’s very interesting. God used David to pen the shepherd Psalms: Psalm 22, 23, 24. Psalm 23 is what everybody knows, but Psalm 22 also. Psalm 22 is the good shepherd that lays his life down for sheep. And it really is just incredible. One Lord’s Supper, we went through Psalm 22, how it describes what Jesus would go through on the cross. Then, of course, Psalm 23: Jesus rose, and He takes care of His sheep. That’s “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Probably the passage read at funerals more than anything else in all the Bible, Psalm 23. And wonderful Psalm 24 is the great shepherd. He’s going to come back for His sheep. Amen. I’m not going to be left in this world. Hey, our shepherd’s coming for us, amen, and we’re going to go home. Psalm 24.
Now, here’s the thing. Just think about God using David to pen these Psalms. We don’t know when. People argue over it. I’ve heard some talk about David when he’s a young man out in the wilderness writing Psalm 23. I don’t know. I tend to think that a little bit myself, but I wouldn’t argue. Some say some of the wording makes you think he’s older. I think he could experience some of the things when he’s younger. But imagine he’s out in the wilderness and is out there, and God used that man to pen, “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.” But the shepherd—David knew that role so well. He was known as a boy as being a shepherd.
Now, let’s just try to draw a couple conclusions, all right? Three quick conclusions, all right? Everybody looking up, we’re going to try to just quickly get a couple things out. Number one, number one—three things here. Number one: God makes people in secret. We look so much at what’s going out in the public. God pays attention to what this boy’s out in the woods doing. Just him and a bunch of back, stinky, smelly sheep. I mean, we had a sheep—many of you know, we had a sheep for years—and sheep go to the bathroom all the time. I mean, it fertilizes the ground a little bit, but it makes stinky shoes, too, you know. I mean, David’s always out there. But when David was out in the woods, God said, “That’s the man.” Just a boy, been out in the woods alone with the Lord. God said, “That’s the boy I want right there.”
Look, if you will, over Matthew 6 real quickly here. Matthew chapter 6 real quickly. We’ve seen this principle before. Been years since we saw it. Matthew 6. And he’s talking here about alms-giving—that’s giving to maybe somebody needs something, to give it to them. And then he talks about praying, and then talks about fasting. And I want you to note a couple phrases. Notice a couple phrases he uses here, Matthew 6. Would you look in verse number four? Matthew 6, verse number four. Once you find that, would you say, “Praise the Lord”? Go look at verse number four. He said, “That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.”
Now I’ve got that underlined. “Thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” I got that underlined, and I got a little number one by that. You see that? You see that? You see that? If you mark in your Bible, it’s a good place to mark right there. “Thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” You underline that, put a little one there.
Now look down in verse number six, verse number six: “But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret.” I got that underlined. I got a little one by that. “Thy Father which is in secret.” Notice this. “And thy Father”—here’s the second time we’ve seen this phrase—“which is in secret shall reward thee openly.” Now I’ve got that underlined. I’ve got a number two by it. He did take out the word “himself” on these last two times you’ll see that phrase.
But now jump down verse number 18, verse number 18: “That thou appear not to men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret.” Here’s the second time we’ve seen this phrase. I got number two by that. “And thy Father”—here it is, third time we’ve seen this phrase—“which is in secret shall reward thee openly.”
Now, friend, here’s again: Everybody, they want to talk about what all happens out in public, and God says, “I’m in secret, and I reward according to what goes on in secret.” That’s the key right there. David has been alone out there in the woods with God, and God’s been working on that boy’s heart, making his heart something. And God said, “That’s the boy I want.”
Hey, what happens in secret? That’s the key, folks. Can I say a couple things here? Learn to be alone. I used to say this about the younger generation. I think it’s true about our generation: if we’re not careful, we’re never alone in our time. Never alone in our day and time, because we always got our phone. Used to carry it on our hips. Now we’re carrying it in our back pocket or wherever it’s our pocket. You know, we got people that won’t turn their phone off when they’re having their prayer time. Hey, the world can get by without you, friend. God’s God, and a whole lot better.
We’re just never alone in our day and time, and we’re always around people. And we don’t talk to neighbors like we used to. It’s amazing how neighbors don’t talk, you know. But we’re always with community, you know. I went by Brother Marlin’s work yesterday and just enjoyed fellowship with a lot of the guys there and whatnot. And Brother Marlin’s boss, he said good things about Brother Marlin. But we were talking about how—I said, “Do you have problems with guys on the phone?” He said, “Oh, yeah, we do.” And he was talking about how he’ll get so many employees nowadays, and they just don’t know how to talk eyeball to eyeball. Just they can’t carry conversations on with one another. Now, I’m getting off the subject here, but this is a little bit of the truth. But I’m saying, learn to be alone.
Different personalities, I understand all that. But you ought to be comfortable at being alone with just you and God. And whether it be in the woods—you think about it, I thought about it being in the woods. John the Baptist, we’ll mention him in just a moment, we’ll mention it down—but John the Baptist was in the wilderness until the day of his showing in the desert, see. Greatest man born among women. But I thought about Brother Richard. Brother Richard grew up in Chicago. You can’t find woods in Chicago, friend. So I’m not necessarily saying you’ve got to be out in the woods in a wood, but you need to learn to be alone with you and God. In secret. That’s why the Bible says, “Go to your prayer closet and shut the door.”
David, man, he just, as a boy, he was used to being alone with God. God said, “That guy’s heart—I’ve been able to develop it, and he’s got a heart after me. That’s the one for the next king.” Very interesting. God used David to pen Psalm 139. And this is what it says in verse 15: “My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret.”
Let me give a couple practical applications. Your prayer time is more important than the public time. In the public, treat everybody just right—not for treating everybody right, but we just put so much in. And I’m for that, but I’m for putting more emphasis with God alone. You get that right, the other takes care of itself. What you do when no one sees is more important than what you do in the limelight, if you will.
Practice is more important than the game, if you will. Kobe Bryant just passed away, of course, all these articles and things about Kobe. And Kobe had a good work ethic, and he’d say, “Man, you don’t have to practice and work for hours when nobody else is around, and it’ll show when you’re in front of everybody.” I’m not saying the purpose isn’t to do all this in front of people, but just learn to be alone with God and focus on what you’re doing when no one else is around. Where does your mind go? What do you spend your time? Where’s your heart go to? That alone time—seek to excel during your alone time. God will take care of the other.
So just a couple of thoughts. Number one: God makes us in secret. David had been a long time just out in the woods, watching those sheep, alone with the Lord. And God said, “That’s the one I want to be king.”
Now let’s look at one more thing here. Let’s look back in a couple of verses here, and I want you to notice this. Look in chapter number 16, look in verse number 18. I want you to notice it. Here’s what we’re going to be looking for: I want you to notice how David takes care of little things, little details. Before we get there, can I just say how many are out there you get tired of details? Anybody? I do. I get tired of details. Nobody? Brother, me and Brother Marlin. Okay, we got a couple more. We got a couple more. Yeah, I’ll get more. But man, they’re important. So crucial. Got to do them.
Look at David, how he takes care of details. Chapter 16, look at verse number 18: “Then answered one of the servants and said, ‘Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters.’”
Look in chapter 17, verse number 15: “But David went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” He’s concerned about those sheep getting some food. Now, most people say, “Oh, those sheep will be all right for a day or two without food. They’ll be all right.” David said, “I’m going to make sure they get fed.” Just details, little things. He saw all of those details, made sure they’re taking care of.
Look at verse number 20: “And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with the keeper.” He made sure somebody was there watching the sheep. I mean, that stuff really doesn’t matter, not that important. David took care of it.
Look at verse number 28, verse number 28, chapter 17: “And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spake to the men: and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, ‘Why camest thou down hither? With whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness?’” I don’t know if he was just kind of exaggerating, the oldest brother, to kind of belittle him or what, but he said just a couple sheep out, just a few sheep. But David treated them real important. Just a few sheep according to his oldest brother. But David, man, he’s on it, taking care of the little things.
Look at verse number 34, verse number 34: “And David said unto Saul…” This is when David said, “I can fight Goliath.” And Saul said, “No, you can’t.” “And David said unto Saul, ‘Thy servant kept his father’s sheep.’” What was he on? His father’s sheep. “And there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb.” Just one lamb. A lamb is a baby sheep. And just one. And David said, “No. I’m going to risk my life just to save one little bitty lamb.” There’s what I’m saying. David took care of details. Does somebody have to go behind you and take care of all the little details you don’t take care of? David wasn’t like that. David was diligent in matters and prudent in matters, and took care of the little things.
You know the parable over in the New Testament of the talents. You see, you took care of the few, the little, I’ll give you a lot more. You know a lot of people in our day and time, they want more, more, more money. Sometimes it just matters if I’m not taking care of the little that God’s given me. But David, David, he took care of details. Little things matter.
I think of Rachel over here taking her and others home a time or two. And I’ve noticed Rachel says, “Yes, sir,” and “No, sir.” And she’s just a little thing. It’s just a little thing, but I’ve noticed that, and she works at that. Little things. I like it sometimes. I’ll see some of our people walking across a parking lot, and there will be some trash on the ground there, and there’s just a little thing. We’ll stop, pick it up. I like that. That’s a little thing, I know, but little things matter. See, when you say, “Hey, I’ll do that,” you do it. Little things. David was prudent in matters, and he said, “I’m not going to leave those sheep out there. I’m going to make sure somebody’s going to take care of them. I’m going to make sure they get some food.” I mean, that’s just a little thing, feeding sheep, but David took care of it.
Little things matter. The Lord says, Matthew 25:21, “His Lord says, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.’” Little things matter. I guarantee you Brother Marlin, as the boss at work, and he has many, he knows details are important. And little things matter. David was on the little things.
There are a couple things about David. Hey, your alone time—it’s so crucial. Can you be alone with the Lord? Are you comfortable? Are you used to that? David took care of little things, details.
Then just the last thought, and we’re done. Last is just a quick thought before honor is humility. Twice the Bible says that in Proverbs 15:33: “The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honor is humility.” Proverbs 18:12: “Before destruction the heart of man is haughty: and before honor is humility.”
David, David, he didn’t seem real proud. He’s out there watching the sheep, and he would go back, and he didn’t argue back; just went back, watched the sheep. Remember Jesus? Remember Jesus? He’s out there, and His apostles are with Him, and they’re going, and the apostles are all fussing. “Well, Simon, just because you’ve got a big mouth don’t mean you’re the one in charge all the time.” And old Thomas said, “Well, somebody else can be in charge. You’re not always the top dog,” you know. “I mean, Judas or Bartholomew or Matthew, just because you were a tax collector, don’t mean you got it all together. Just because you had a little money back in the day, don’t mean you’re all that.” And they’re fussing, arguing with each other. And you know where Jesus is? He’s over there. He’s got a towel and He’s got a basin of water. While they’re arguing about who’s going to be the top dog, Jesus is over there washing their feet.
Philippians 2 talks about Jesus’ humility. “He humbled himself, became obedient unto death.” God says, “I’m going to raise Him up. His name is going to be above every name.” That’s why God works: for honor is humility.
Would you bow your head and close your eyes just very quickly here a little bit about the life of David? Our heads are bowed, our eyes are closed. Just real quick, we’re almost done. You say, “Preacher, I need to work at this thing in my alone time.” However God spoke to your heart, whatever it may be—maybe being alone, or maybe what you do, what you think about—but I need to work at my alone time. God spoke to my heart about the secret things and my alone time. God spoke to my heart about that. If that is you tonight, you slip your hand up. If anybody like that, God spoke to my heart about that. I’m with you, friend. My hands up. My hands up. That’s good. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so very, very much.
Maybe you’re here tonight, you say, “Preacher, I need to take care of the little things. Need to keep the little things right in my life.” God spoke to my heart about the little things. If that’s you, slip your hand up, church. God spoke to my heart about the little things. Oh, God bless you. God bless you. They’re important. God bless you. God bless you. Thank you so very, very much.
By the way, not just the little things are important to you, but the little things are important to others also. And you’re here tonight, you say, “Preacher, I want to work at being humble before the Lord. Now, I want to work at that. I’ll be like Jesus.” And God spoke to my heart. I need to work at this thing about keeping humble before the Lord. God spoke to my heart about that. Anybody like that tonight? “Preacher, God spoke to my heart about that.” That’s you tonight? God bless you. God bless you. Me too. Me too. Me too. God bless you. Thank you so very much.
You put your hands down. Maybe you’re here tonight, you say, “Preacher, be honest with you. If tonight were my last day in this world and tomorrow I would have died—something would have happened, a car wreck, I don’t know—if I would wake up in heaven or hell. I don’t know. I might wake up burning in a lake of fire, hell.” I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know that I’m going to heaven. I don’t know that I’m saved on the way to heaven. I’m not sure of that. If I stood here with my head bowed, eyes closed, preacher, I don’t know that I’m going to heaven. I’m not sure of that right there.
Would you slip your hand up if you say, “I don’t know that I’m going to heaven? I’m not sure that I’m saved going to heaven”? Anybody like that? You slip your hand up. “Preacher, I don’t know. I don’t know.” I don’t see any hands. Hey, Christians, all of us, let’s just work at these three things: the secret time, the little things, and humility. All of us can work in them. I know I sure can. I need to work at those.
Would you please stand, if you would, please? We’re going to have a word of prayer. We won’t be long, and we’ll have a word of prayer and our instruments will play. We’ll spend some time with the Lord. Would you do so?
Father, thank you so much for David. Lord, help us to learn and glean and grow from his life in these coming weeks. And Lord, help us to learn to be alone with you and be right with you in secret and focus on you, Lord. And, Father, would you help us to take care of the little things? And Lord, help us to be humble before you. Bless our people tonight in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Would you just spend some time with the Lord as we play for just a little bit? Won’t be long.
Original File: The Shepherd Boy - Pastor Paul Chisgar 21920