Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” I Samuel 16:11 (English Standard Version, ESV)

When the prophet Samuel was at the house of Jesse to anoint the next king of Israel, Jesse and the rest of the family left David out of the “line-up.” He was an afterthought. And it also appears that what he was doing (tending sheep) was not viewed by them as an important responsibility- as we can see from Eliab’s later comment to David.

But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. “What are you doing around here anyway?” he demanded. “What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!” I Samuel 17:28 (New Living Translation, NLT) emphasis mine

David was the youngest and therefore was given the least appealing tasks and those viewed as the least significant. Yet, David put his heart into it. He even laid his life on the line for “those few sheep.”

David said to Saul, “Your servant was a shepherd for my father’s flock, and the lion came and the bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I took hold of his beard, struck him, and killed him. I Samuel 17:34-35 (Modern English Version, MEV)

Imagine, David literally wrestled with a ferocious lion and a bear to keep the sheep safe. Some people might think, “Let the lion have it; it’s just one sheep and I value my life too much.” David, however, took his lowly job seriously and gave it his all, even risking his own life to do so. Now, let’s also consider that God said that David was a man after His own heart. I have to think that David’s devotion to his duties, no matter how seemingly small they seemed, was a part of what endeared David to the Lord. This lines right up with an example that Jesus gave us in the parable of the talents.

The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.’ Matthew 25:21 (New Century Version, NCV)

David took excellent care of the sheep of his father’s pasture and God eventually promoted him to be king of the entire nation. When we are faithful with what we have, God will give us more.

Are you believing God for a house? If so, how are you treating the apartment you are currently renting? Are you using your faith for a better vehicle? If so, how clean and how well maintained to you keep the “old faithful” car you have now? Are you seeking to be promoted or maybe even go into business for yourself? How are you behaving as an employee right now? Do you arrive late and leave early? Do you manage to spend your time on the internet when the boss isn’t looking? Do office supplies from work mysteriously find their way into your home office? We must be people of excellence and honor the place where we are before we can be trusted with more. That is a kingdom principle that we must embrace if we are to move on to bigger and better things.

We can use David as our example and choose to have a spirit of excellence in our current situation. When we do, God is able to give us greater things.