This is what Asaph penned, from verses 70-72,
"He (God), chose David his servant and took him from the sheepfolds; from following the nursing ewes he brought him to shepherd Jacob His people, Israel His inheritance. With upright heart he shepherded them and guided them with his skillful hand."
David likely never dreamed he'd be king at all. Likely he thought he was "stuck" tending sheep. Little did he know it was his training ground for bigger things.
No doubt it was rough out there and required a lot of hard work but I like to think of David, lying on his back at night and trying to count the stars (ha, ha, not sheep but maybe that too) and observe the moon in its various phases. Very close to nature, so he was. In his various Psalms he refers very often to creation and in turn points to the Creator, the Maker of it all.
What an amazing apprenticeship in sheep tending! He was certainly socially distanced from people but he sure braved facing a lion and a bear and who knows what all out there. Those were just "all in a day's work", nothing to fuss about. Astonishing really, when you think about it.
Caring for the general welfare of the ewes, especially when lambing, and then of the newborn lambs themselves; being "mom" to rejected or orphaned lambs; protecting them all from predators; making sure all had plenty of grass to munch and still waters to lap up--sounds very much like a full-time 24/7 job.
It's a wonder David had the time to practice his archery and slingshot skills, honing them to precision. Then the harp. Possibly a lyre thrown in for good measure (Psalm 150). What a guy!
Living an isolated, somewhat rather lonely existence, he learned every nook and cranny of the wilderness pasture land reaches. Perhaps he'd "bump" into other shepherds from time to time and swap howdy's and enjoy the occasional time of camaraderie. I'm assuming he certainly didn't sulk at his lot in life, rather he kept himself pro-active all the while. Alert and ever ready.
David had so much going for him yet he seemed to have been thought very little of by his older brothers and even by his father, Jesse. Thus, mayhap, some of the melancholy noted in his Psalms. The youngest of a string of sons, the insignificant "baby of the family". Send him off to tend the sheep. That's what he's good for. That's why they didn't bother to think he, their baby brother!! could be the chosen one to become king. Surely, not! So he didn't get invited to the anointing party.
Ha, ha, ha...
God had the last laugh.
All of the bits and pieces of David's life puzzle, thus far, came together, culminating in his mostly wise governing of the peoples in his kingdom. David's great trust and reliance on God put him in excellent stead. He had been faithful in that which was considered "least". God, his Rock, Fortress, Refuge and Deliverer, gave him His most precious chosen people to shepherd; to be faithful in that which was "much" (Luke 16:10).
Asaph noted,
David guided the people's with an
"...upright heart...and skillful hand".
So too with our lives, we never know what all the threads of life will combine and create to enable us to create and do in service for God, our King.
Thanks, Asaph, for this "peek" at David.
Father God, there are so many various threads in our lives. Some exceeding joys, others that are so difficult they could send a person into the slough of despond. Yet, Father, we beseech You to weave all those threads together into the masterpiece of Your unique, creative design, just as You did for David, a man after Your own heart.
We often only see the underside of Your work of embroidery in our lives, where all the knots and crisscrosses are. You, Father, get the bird's eye view. Continue Your work in us and may we too be found faithful, strong and steadfast in Your unchanging love, as David was. May we too, work with "upright hearts" and "skillful hands" from the amalgamation and assimilation of our lives' experiences and lessons learned. Most importantly that we too will live pro-actively for Your glory, and have firm trust and reliance on You, the ever, perfect Faithful One, Our Good Shepherd.
~ERC March 2020~
Based on Psalm 78
The Lord's my Shepherd-Stuart Townend
Further references to check out re: lyre in Psalms. Turns out David mentions this instrument almost as much as he does the harp:
Psalm 5:2; 11:7; 33:2; 43:4; 49:4; 57:8; 71:22; 81:2; 92:3; 108:2; 144:9; 147:1; and 150:3.
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