Final thoughts on Psalm 78:70-72
He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. NKJV
When God sets our hearts on fire, He usually does so in normal natural ways. Of course some have been set on fire as they fasted and prayed in extended times of solitude. But in most cases, God does His work in our everyday lives. A burning passion is lit and kindled in the midst of our work day; dropping our kids off at school; paying our bills; making home repairs; toiling at work; recreating with others; courting the opposite sex; working our way through problems—all the sheep pens of life. It is in the midst of these daily ruts that God chooses us, as His children, to follow hard after Him. It is from these ordinary routines that God calls us to higher levels of meaning and significance. That is what happened to David.
God called David to from the sheepfolds to the palace. It was while he was carrying out the humble job of shepherding that God ignited his heart. He learned the art of overseeing sheep and then transferred the lessons he had learned to people. A heart of integrity developed when no one was looking, and it was that same heart of integrity that led the nation of Israel to greatness. The skill in nurturing, protecting, and leading sheep became the skill in leading a people to worship God; but remember, God developed David in the sheepfolds.
Maybe you feel like you are living and working in the sheep pens. It stinks. It’s not particularly pleasant. It’s not where you want to be or thought you would be. You feel alone and maybe even abandoned. Let me remind you that God is not wasting your time. Don’t waste His. Let Him prepare you for your future. Remember: He does His best work in the pens. Ron Moore
Bethel Bible Church Hawaii 