Do You Have Any Experience With Sheep?

Psalms 78:70-72
And David Shepherded them with integrity of heart with skillful hands he led them.

When you go on an interview the interviewer is going to look at your resume which will list your skills, your education and your previous jobs. They will call you in for an interview where your appearance and personality play a key role. Above all, what will speak volumes is the question of experience, have you done what they are hiring you to do?

There is a proverb that says, “Despise not small beginnings.” There are some things you are doing now that seem insignificant but are really shaping your resume.

When God went looking for the next king of Israel he found David working in a Shepherd field. He was the least likely candidate from all appearances, as a matter fact Samuel was looking for tall, dark, and handsome and David was ruddy in appearance. God told him, “man looks at the outer appearance but God looks at the heart.” His resume wasn’t that long but he did have some experience in what he was being hired to do. He was a shepherd. What does that have to do with being a king? God wanted a man after his own heart and the Lord is our shepherd! He couldn’t have a man over his people that didn’t have a shepherd’s heart. You can’t have a shepherd’s heart without shepherd experience.

You can’t lead where you want go and you can’t teach what you don’t know. David was a skilled shepherd who fought lions and bears with his bare hands and a sling shot. So when his “big shot” came with Goliath he already had that experience.

David also had other skills, he was a musician. To make yourself marketable during a recession you need more than one skill.

Do you have any experience with sheep? What area of service have you volunteered for that could be preparing you for your career tomorrow? When you are in high school, colleges want to know what kind of community service you’ve done because it speaks to your character and leadership abilities. You have to serve God’s people before he lets you lead the people.

Peter before he was reinstated by Jesus was asked, “Do you love me? Then feed my lambs.” A second time Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me? Then feed my sheep.” Jesus told Peter in essence; start with the baby sheep before you go to the grown sheep. Start small before you go big.

Like David, when you finally get hired you want to be able to Shepherd God’s people with:

1. Integrity of heart. Is your heart pure? Can you do what you profess you can do? When someone or something has integrity it does what it says it can do.

2. Skillful hands. Do you have the skills to do the job? Do you have more than one skill? Have you studied to show yourself approved?

Dear God,

Thank you for the experiences of working in this field. Everything I’ve gone through has prepared me for where I’m headed. My desire is to serve your people with integrity and skillful hands. Thank you for being my Shepherd.

In Jesus Name,
Amen