The following is an excerpt from my new book, “Be a Man the World Needs: Volume One,” available now at: https://a.co/d/80U575e. Every day this week, you can read a new devotion from the first chapter.
1.4 GO TO SERVE
READ: 1 Samuel 17:1-58
“And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17:32 ESV
David’s father asked him to take his brothers' lunch. But what the world needed was more than someone delivering bread and cheese. Another confrontation waited. Another opportunity.
The story of David and Goliath is the pivotal story of David’s life. It propelled him into prominence. The spotlight found David forever after. But he did not go seeking it. David went to serve his father.
David shined when he served. His heart for working on behalf of those around him caused people to love him. Sometimes serving looked like hanging out with the sheep, sometimes it meant facing giants. But it was David’s time with the sheep that prepared him for the encounter with Goliath.
The world needs men who are willing to serve in obscurity with a selfless heart. The time with the sheep when no one is looking is a proving ground for the valley where everyone watches. David stepped into the conflict with faith. God had proven himself faithful. The arrogant giant proclaiming himself an enemy of God was another opportunity.
David served his father first. He served his family. He did what was asked and what was required. It created in him the kind of willing heart that made him capable of faithfully confronting the giant.
You are surrounded by giants. They are everywhere. But we must be willing to walk through seasons of preparation in order to experience moments of deliverance. Serving for the sake of serving is often thankless and seemingly overlooked. God sees. God knows. What you do is not forgotten. It is practice for the giants the world needs you to slay.
CHALLENGE: Today, you will encounter an opportunity to do something that seems thankless and insignificant. Do it with an eager heart.