When you’re alone doing the laundry, do you think about God? When you’re on under-appreciated kitchen clean-up duty, do you hum a worship song?  This story is about a young man who managed to meditate and praise God while doing menial work.  When you’re in the daily grind, you can remember a certain young man who was considered only good enough for sheep duty. Maybe you feel like him – even though his job was demanding, he was of low status in society.  Spending day and night guarding and guiding the sheep was not glamorous work. (Mothers can relate!) He withstood heat and cold, dust, little or poor sleep, and hours of boredom punctuated by a few minutes of fright. (Sound familiar, moms?!)

Being the youngest, David wasn’t considered old enough to have ‘important’ work, so he was relegated to the wilderness with the sheep. Alone and ignored by everyone but his sheep, he used the quiet hours when his sheep were safe to play his lyre and sing to God. He meditated on the Torah and he loved the God the Torah described. He looked for God and found him even in the wilderness. God heard his songs and prayers. God was preparing him for a life of service to his country.  And God was preparing him to bless all the believers who would read and sing his songs for three thousand years, right up to us today.

Things took an unexpected turn when the prophet and priest, Samuel, came to their town and declared a sacred feast. The whole family was summoned, but no one thought to invite the inconsequential shepherd boy.

“Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, “The Lord has not chosen these.” So he asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?”
“There is still the youngest,” Jesse answered. “He is tending the sheep.”
Samuel said, “Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives.”
So he sent for him and had him brought in. He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David.” 1 Samuel 16:10-13

What, exactly did the Spirit of the Lord powerfully enable David to do? And can the Spirit enable us?
“So Saul said to his attendants, “Find someone who plays well and bring him to me.”
One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the lyre. He is a brave man and war-ready. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him.” 1 Samuel 16:17

Even though David was often with the sheep in the wilderness, God began giving him ability and honor. God enabled him to become an excellent musician- presumably through hours of playing to God and his sheep. God made him brave and ready for any challenge by helping him repel a bear and a lion who attacked his sheep. God gave him skill in communication. And finally, God arranged a royal assignment.

“Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.”  David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” 1 Samuel 16:18-20

Saul was so taken with David that he requested that David remain with him. But even with the honor of this request by the king himself, David’s father couldn’t bring himself to release his menial laborer for full-time royal service. He allowed his favored older sons to go to Saul, but he withheld David, the one Saul singularly asked for.  So part of the time David served Saul as an important personal musician and public profile armor bearer, part of the time he served his father as a thankless shepherd alone in the wilderness. Yet he never refused to obey his father’s orders.

“David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.” 1 Samuel 17:14-15

It appears that Jesse thought David was only good enough to watch the sheep and run errands.

Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this . . . roasted grain and … bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. . . See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” 1 Samuel 17:17-19

Basically, his father said, “Your brothers are doing important work.  You must go and bring me news of your brothers.”   On that fateful morning, he did as he was told and loaded the donkey with provisions for his brothers who disdained him. These were the mean brothers who accused him of being conceited and wicked.  Yet his father honored them above David by releasing them for duty under King Saul. But  David, whom King Saul had requested, had not been allowed to go. Yet David got up early and energetically did his father’s bidding. He thought he was only his father’s errand boy that day. He couldn’t have known that before the day closed, he would be the hero millions have known for thousands of years as the shepherd boy who killed the giant, Goliath. (As for his ‘important’ brothers, 3,000 years later, few even know their names!)

During his lonely, disregarded younger years, he had found his delight in God. He trusted God, and God’s special favor was on him as indicated by Samuel’s anointing. God enabled him to excel in music, in bravery, in strength, in speech, and in favor. Although his family treated him with disdain, God gave him a best friend who loved him more than his own brothers did, and Abigail, a wife who respected him. As he evaded the wrath of Saul, God gave him a band of loyal men who risked their lives for him.

Finally, God raised him to the highest position in the nation, beloved king of Israel. He prophesied about the Messiah, and he foreshadowed the last and greatest King of Israel, Jesus.

When you’re alone doing the laundry, do you think about God? When you’re an under-appreciated kitchen cleaner, do you hum a worship song? When those closest to you don’t encourage you to use your abilities, do you keep practicing anyway? When there’s always one more chore to do, are you doing each one to the best of your ability? When you’re passed over and ignored, are you humbly seeking God and giving him praise? Are you content right here, right now? Are you obedient to those over you? Are you ready at a moment’s notice to do what needs to be done with a willing heart? Are you learning to delight in God in the daily grind? Let’s imitate David today!