It was a day waking up with the sheep like all the others. The sunrise was beautiful over the horizon, peaking through the tree branches. The morning star and moon could still be seen in the eastern sky. The birds sang before they left their roost. This young man would go through the same daily routine he had learned from the beginning of keeping his father's sheep. He never, in a 1000 years, would believe what was about to happen in a few hours. His life was about to change from being a leader and shepherd of sheep, to a leader and king of God's people.
How could this happen? Why would he be chosen? What about his resume would draw attention from the God of heaven? Why was his heart different than that of his brothers'? Why was it said by God, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all my will.?
A few hours past from the dawn. He was leading the sheep to water and then to shade. In the distance he heard someone calling his name. When the messenger spotted David, he quickly ran to greet him. Out of breath, he probably quickly said , Your father needs you to come home. There is a priest called Samuel at your father's house. He wants to see you. I do not know if it happened this way, but you have to think David was wondering what was going on.
The next thing you know, this young shepherd boy was anointed as the next king of Israel. Later, he serves king Saul by playing his harp to overcome Saul's distressing spirit and he was also, Saul's armorbearer. Why was this young, poor shepherd boy chosen over his brothers? Even Samuel, the priest, chose David's older brother, Eliab, to be the next king. What God tells Samuel, we must always remember. The Lord said to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7, For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. We can be a failure in the eyes of the world, but we can have our heart right and be a success in the eyes of God. That to me is pretty awesome.
David's brothers, Saul, and the army of Israel had lost their awe of God. The sun rising and setting, and all of God's creation was just ordinary to them. They, like us, were too much involved with every day life to notice. Evidently, David noticed God's creation everyday, because he wrote so much about it in the Psalms.
Now let's see what can happen when a man identifies the awe of God in his life. That man is prepared to bring glory and honor to his God and to serve Him with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength. "The glory of God is shown by that man being fully alive as he was created to be." (Saint Irenaeus)
Then Jesse said to his son David, "Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried grain and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back the news of them."(1 Samuel 17:18,NKJV) David's three oldest brothers were with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. It says that David rose early in the morning, got a keeper for the sheep, and took the things his father had commanded. At this point, David doesn't look very important. He is just his father's errand boy. His father is probably proud of his three oldest sons being in the army of Israel, fighting against their dreadful enemy the Philistines. We do not read of David sulking, questioning,or delaying in the mission his father was sending him on.
All of you have read the rest of the story. Let's get to the awesome part. When challenged by a giant of the enemy, David's brothers, Saul and the armies of God, ran, hid and trembled. Did they really believe they served an awesome God? Had they forgotten the mighty acts their God performed in the presence of their ancestors? They did not have the heart to face the giant. What about you? What would you have done?
Next, David's brothers, Saul, and all the men of Israel are about to see the awe of God performing before their very eyes. The results are awesome. Knowing how awesome his God is, David tells Saul that God delivered him from the lion and the bear, and he would also deliver him from this giant. David did not have to prepare for this battle. All of his preparation was done in the wilderness, with those few sheep, learning how great his God was. He did not let anything block his view of seeing his God in all of creation.
David approaches the giant in the name of the God of the armies of Israel. He in plain language told Goliath what he was going to do, so that all the earth would know there was a God in Israel. David did what he said he was going to do. This awesome act of a young shepherd boy, who gave God all the glory, put the awe of God back into the fainted hearts of the men of Israel. The result? They came out of hiding, faced their fears, and chased the enemy away. When they saw God working in the heart of that young shepherd boy, their hearts of fear were changed to hearts of courage. Their awe of God was restored again. Eyes that were once blind could now see God in all of His splendor.
What would getting the awe of God back into your heart do for you, your loved ones and the people around you? Would you and they develop a giant slaying heart as David? Could those giants that challenge you every day, sucking the life out of you, be defeated, giving you a life to glorify God as David did?
Here is one awesome act of God that can give us all comfort. God's son, Jesus, tells us that, He has come to give us life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10) Seeing the awe of God in that statement can have awesome consequences in your life.
Let's begin the new year of 2016 getting the awe of God back into our hearts. It will be an awesome year when we do.
Please share on Facebook or send comments to me at rhepler52@gmail.com. Also, you can purchase my books, The Heart Behind the Stone: Develop a Giant Slaying Heart and 123 Tips for My Grandchildren and Yours, by going to www.amazon.com
Let's begin a new year together by being a people after God's own heart, developing giant slaying hearts.
Thanks for reading and thank you for buying my books.
Rick Hepler
