In The Pasture

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:13 (ESV) David’s anointing is a pivotal moment in Israelite history. God will promise David that the throne will stay in his house (lineage). David would eventually be king over all Israel, and just over a thousand years later a descendant of his — Jesus Christ — would be born in the same town David was anointed. Jesus Christ would be the promised Savior of the world! So, David’s anointing is an important part of the redemptive story. We all know David as the young boy with big faith and, because of his faith, he became a giant killer. But remember, David didn’t ascend to the throne immediately after he was anointed. After his anointing, David went back to tending sheep. There was no fancy training for the new king, per se. But going back to the pasture was his training because it’s where David’s skills were sharpened. Sometimes, you may feel like you’re stuck in the pasture, but that is where God is developing you. At times, you may not be where you think you should be in life, but it is possible that God is equipping you right where you are. The most powerful ministers for Jesus are raised up out of the fire, and they preach their hearts out because they know they have been forgiven of much. They are often ordinary people, but they trust God, and God does the extraordinary through them. In the pasture is where God was teaching David, where he was learning courage as he fought off wild animals and gaining the courage to be a giant killer. In the pasture among the sheep is where David learned to trust God, and his faith led him to defeat champions. — Mark Little Elk   Council Fire is a collaboration with Intertribal Life Ministries and Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. The Council Fire Daily Devotional Book Set is available on the Intertribal Life Ministries website. Learn more about Council Fire at councilfire365.org