David And Goliath: A Message For Parents

David And Goliath
A Message For Parents

”There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” 1 Samuel 16:11

David’s upbringing under his father Jesse shows us the benefits of consistent discipline during the formative years. What was David doing when Samuel came to anoint him king? Obediently tending his father’s sheep day and night, thereby learning how to discipline himself and others. When King Saul – seeking someone to ease his torment by playing the harp – called for David, he obeyed his father and served Saul, even though he had already been anointed by Samuel for far greater things. And while serving Saul, he continued tending sheep in a disciplined manner.

When Jesse asked young David to deliver grain, bread, and cheese to the army unit where his brothers were stationed, he obeyed without murmuring. When David questioned why the armies of the living God allowed an uncircumcised Philistine named Goliath to defy them, he was rebuked by his brothers, but he didn’t lose his composure. Instead, with self-discipline tempered under pressure, he presented himself confidently to Saul as the one qualified to defeat Goliath. Why? Because he had learned the great lesson of trusting the Lord while caring for sheep.

When parents consistently train their children in seemingly small tasks, they prepare them to act with discipline and confidence when faced with bigger ones. Had Jesse not required him to tend sheep, David would never have had to defend the sheep against a bear and a lion. Tending sheep prepared David not only to slay Goliath, but also to become the shepherd-king of Israel. While his father thought he was only training a child, he was, in fact, preparing him to trust the Lord when confronting life’s challenges. Is there a message here for parents? I think so.

By Larry Ondrejack