1 Samuel 17:14-15

David was the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul. But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father’s sheep at Bethlehem.

Little things can make a big difference. In the 1968 Winter Olympics, Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy made a sweep of the men’s Alpine events, but it was nip and tuck. He won the downhill by 8/100ths of a second, the slalom by 9/100ths.

By comparison, the giant slalom was a rout, with Killy coming in more than two seconds ahead of Swiss silver medalist Willy Favre. Small as they seem, those seconds, even fractions of a second, made the difference between winning and losing.

David also knew the importance of small things. The war between the armies of Saul and the Philistines must have been very exciting for a young boy. The fortunes of David’s family and the whole nation of Israel hung in the balance.

Yet in the midst of such monumental battles, David didn’t forget about his father’s sheep back in Bethlehem. He never failed to leave the allurement of the battlefield when necessary and tend to what others might consider insignificant responsibilities like feeding sheep. He knew these tasks were as needful as the more glamorous duties.

It’s easy for Christians to respond to the attraction of exciting ministries. Involvement in mass evangelistic rallies is thrilling. Being part of a stadium filled with people enthused about Jesus Christ is exhilarating.

These things make the chore of teaching a class of three-year-olds or photocopying the Sunday worship folder seem so small and insignificant by comparison. Yet we need to remember that our faithfulness to these apparently small tasks is necessary as well.

If you struggle under the load of what appear to be insignificant responsibilities, realize that God doesn’t rate the size of the task, only the faithfulness of those He calls to complete it. Be faithful to the duty and don’t worry about the dimensions.

BEING FAITHFUL IN SMALL THINGS IS NO SMALL THING.

WOODROW KROLL
www.backtothebible.in