2009 – Day 102.Apr. 13 – Youthful Integrity

2009 – Day 102.Apr. 13 – Youthful Integrity

Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 16: 1 – 11 … Link to study passage …

My Journal for Today: Here again we move toward answering the question as to why God chose David to the His anointed successor to King Saul. And in today’s study Swindoll, from his devotional, points to the character trait of youthful integrity which was developed in young David out there in the fields of the desert wilderness. But I remind any reader here, … we have to focus now on YOUNG David and what God saw in the heart of this teenage shepherd. And Swindoll contends that the shepherd King was chosen because his character of integreity had been developed by four disciplines.

And the first of these, according to Swindoll, was SOLITUDE. The discipline of solitude develops depth of personality. One who requires superficial or meaningless noise in his life will likely avoid being able to focus on the really important aspects of life. Young David, out there alone in the desert, tending his flock, had learned how to focus on the main things in life; and the quiet he experienced helped to develop that focus. Meaningless noise has a tendency to cover over the deep, unresolved issues in life. However, developing and maintaining solitude in life helps one see and deal with those issues; and God can be heard more clearly when one develops and uses the discipline of solitude in. There’s an awful lot of meaningless noise in life these days. Do we have enough solitude in our life to be able to hear God’s still, small voice?

Secondly, and in a somewhat related discipline, David was honed through OBSCURITY. Servant leaders, Swindoll contends, are first “… unknown, unseen, unappreciated, and unapplauded.” And I love another quote about the life which David experienced which helped shape him for being king. Swindoll writes, “Strange as it may seem, those who first accept the silence of obscurity are best qualified to handle the applause of popularity. How about it? Are we seekers of the affirmation of others rather than doing the job behind the scenes?

The third training ground which developed young King David was MONOTONY; and that, according to Swindoll is learning to be faithful “ … in the menial, insignificant, routine, uneventful, daily tasks of life.” If one requires the drama or applause in life, he will not be able to deal with the small, but significant, details which are required to make one a leader. Servant leaders must be able to serve first; and service requires an attention to the mundane and repetitive details of life, … taks which may be boring but are absolutely necessary to get “the job” (of life) done in a way which is pleasing to God.

And finally, Swindoll claims the fourth discipline which helped to shape the Shepherd King was REALITY. And there’s probably no more real life on earth than that of being a shepherd out there in the deserts with a bunch of sheep, … where one must get to know the sheep, deal with the threats of predators, and have to provide for the needs of his flock. David didn’t have the luxury of living in fantasy out there with his flock. He had to learn to deal with solitude, obscurity, and monotony in the context of a very real existence. How about us? Are we dealing with real life; or are we drawn into fantasy to escape life?

How about it, fellow Christian? Are you doing the self inventory from this study as I am? And from conviction, I admit needing noise in my life to cover over my deeper, very personal issues. Often I’ll get in the car and instead of relishing the solitude, I’ll turn on the radio to surround myself with meaningless chatter; or I’ll turn on the TV or computer when I come in the house rather than listening for God’s still, small voice in the midst of quiet. But I’m learning to seek out and relish these quiet times with God, much as I am right here, listening for God and writing in this place.

I also confess that too often I seek out the affirmation or applause of other people, rather than just focusing on the more obscure and/or monotonous tasks which need to be done to get God’s job done. I’ve always, well, maybe not so much lately, been focused on getting into the public eye …to be seen by others doing the things which the world has a tendency of applauding. As I’ve matured in my faith, however, I’m recognizing and learning that getting the small details accomplished, those things which use my God-given gifts for His glory, will likely make God smile much more than feeding my human need for human applause. Now, I’m learning that the very real, but important, things like encouraging someone or doing a lesson plan for teaching my adult Sunday School class, can be used by God a lot more than seeking out the flashy applause or doing the stuff which give ME pleasure, rather than glory to God.

Perhaps in my later years of life, I’m finally learning what made God smile about David when he was a teenaged shepherd boy and what drew our Lord to the heart for God whom He could anoint as His King.

My Prayer for Today: Lord help me seek out the quiet in life to help me be shaped into Your image. Amen