God's Training Ground

 I think most people would agree that typical days are fairly routine and mundane. Life can fall into a predictable rhythm. When we are asked how our day went, the typical response is that it was good or it was fine. There are some days that are so memorable they stick in our minds. These are days when the events are unforgettable. Your day could have started off routine and one phone call could change everything. It could be positive news or negative. I prefer to focus on the positive. 

I imagine that shepherding sheep was not all that exciting for David. Most days must have been mundane. Leading sheep from meadow to meadow and to water is not that exciting. Perhaps David amused himself watching the lambs skip and jump playfully. There were the rare occasion when a lion or bear attacked the sheep and he had to defend them. Other than that it must have been boring. It was not a glamorous job. David had no idea those days of watching over the flock were training ground for a larger mission. 

David also entertained himself by playing the harp and singing songs. He was a gifted musician noted for his skill. On those long days and night David sang to the Lord. It might have seemed like wasted time, but it was training ground for the work God had in mind later in David's life. 

One ordinary day, God spoke to the prophet Samuel informing him that he was to anoint the next king. God instructed him to go to the house of Jesse and He would designate which son was to be the next king. Jesse brought seven sons before Samuel. God rejected all of them to be the king. David was the youngest and did not get an invite. David was summoned and God chose the shepherd boy to be the next king in Israel. It was a day David would never forget. He must have been surprised when Samuel took out the horn of oil and anointed him. 

Those days watching sheep were not wasted days. They were training days. Just like he cared for sheep and defended them, so would he care for a nation and defend them. God used the music he made to be included in a large portion of scripture called Psalms. David endured mundane days before God revealed His true purpose for the young shepherd. 

God does the same things in our lives. I don't know where you are and what you are doing that seems monotonous. Maybe it is getting through school like the young man I talked to earlier today. Maybe it is an entry level job. Perhaps you are dreaming of a career change. Maybe it is just enduring day after day. God can use where you are to train you for His purpose. He might be molding you into a leader. He could use volunteer work in a local church to prepare you for a larger assignment. We just don't know. 

I'm betting David did not wake up on the day recorded in I Sam 16:1-23 thinking to himself, "Today is the day I will be anointed the next king over Israel." That is the way God works at times. He shows up and surprises us with His plans. You may think that God could never call you to do anything for Him of significance. You may believe you have nothing to offer. You are a prime candidate for the kind of people God is looking for to match an assignment. He is not looking for the smartest or most talented. He is looking for people most others overlook like David so that He gets more glory. Read I Cor 1:26-31. You might be in your training ground today. Don't be surprised if God shows up on an ordinary day to do something extraordinary in your life. 

Don't Forget to Say Thank You

 Yesterday, First Southern blessed Brenda and I with multiple cards for pastor appreciation month. Those cards included blessings for us. Some included money while others included gift cards. They showered us with their love. They are a loving and generous flock. 

I spent most of the morning writing thank  you letters. Why? On the day I made my call to preach public to the Denman Avenue Baptist Church in Lufkin, TX, Brother Charles Roberts whispered some advice to me after most of the people came and shook my hand. He said, "Don't forget to say thank you when people bless you." I guess he knew that a preacher gets blessed a lot. Just a couple of weeks ago one of our church members bought our lunch on a Sunday after worship. We did not even know they were in the restaurant. That has happened numerous times. A couple in our church gave us a push lawn mower soon after we purchased our house. Another man did some repair work on one of our vehicles refusing to take payment for it. We had a blow out coming from Amarillo one day. Turns out that car did not even have a jack in it. I called one of our deacons for help. Another deacon rolled up and saw us stranded. I can't say for sure, but the following day some money showed up on my desk for the purchase of new tires. I think one of them blessed us. I could go on and on with the blessings. 

Brenda and I have tried to be faithful to say thank you. We try to send out thank you letters. We have done this for over three decades of ministry together. It is important. We do not take blessings for granted when we know the sacrifice people make for us. 

We certainly don't take the blessings from God for granted. They are too numerous to count. We cannot give Him enough thanks. I know in a little over two weeks we will be in the Thanksgiving Holiday season. Challenges will be issued to be thankful for something everyday. Preachers will preach on gratitude. I am thankful for the advice of Brother Charles telling me not to forget to say thank you. I am going to contact him now and thank him for such great advice. I hope you will take to this heart and not forget to say thank you to those around you.