Fall 1991

Where is Your Sheepfold
Dr Richard Forde

"He chose David also His servant, and took him from
the sheepfolds; from following the ewes great with young
He brought him to feed Jacob His people and Israel His
inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity
of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his
hands" Psalms 78:70-72.

The sheepfold is that place of preparation to which the Lord assigns us in order to prepare us for His greater intention. Of necessity, it is a place of difficulty. It is often a place where one is left alone with God; where there may be a wrestling with the enemy (the lion and bear). Also, it is a place of humility.

This position in the sheepfold was the task of the youngest son; it was a place of learning responsibility for the charges left in his care. In the loneliness of those dark nights with the weight of responsibility for the sheep upon him, the young shepherd learned to call upon God and to lean on Him for his protection, as well as for the protection of his flock.

In the sheepfold, God was watching. He noticed David's concern for the "ewes great with young." He observed how David protected the flock; how he fed, watered, and cared for the sheep; how he defended them to the extent of placing his own life at risk.

"And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's
sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb
out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him,
and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against
me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear" I Samuel 34-36a.

Having been tested and proven in the sheepfold, God "chose David also His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds ... and brought him to feed Jacob His people and Israel His inheritance." The Scripture says: "Who hath despised the day of small things" Zechariah 4:10. Jesus said, "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in much" Luke 16:10.

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:20-21), the quality which the Lord emphasized was faithfulness. "Thou hast been FAITHFUL over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things" Matthew 25:21b. The implication is that if I am faithful in a small task, I will also be faithful in a greater one. On the other hand, if I cannot be entrusted with a small task, I certainly could not be trusted with the greater.

Integrity is proven character. It is not a gift; rather, it is a quality that is developed in the "school of hard knocks." It results from the sanding, rubbing, fashioning, and molding of life's difficulties. James says: "But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Integrity is the fruit of one's experience.

David "fed his sheep according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands." Again, skillfulness is a quality that results from experience. Even though we may have the aptitude for a certain task, we cannot be skilled at that endeavor until we repeatedly, actively, experience it. A man may have a real aptitude for carpentry; and he may even learn from books and teachers how a job should be done, but it is only after many "hands on" experiences that skill is developed. Skillfulness is proven ability. In the sheepfold, David gained experience as he guided, cared for, and fed his father's sheep.

Where is your sheepfold? Are you rebelling because of the smell of the sheepfold, the loneliness, the roar of the lion, or the fearsomeness of the bear? There was One who was watching David and caring for him. Even though at times David may have felt very much alone, The Lord was with him. When the lion and the bear attacked his sheep, David aid: "the Lord ... delivered me" I Samuel 17:37a. David was prepared and proven in the sheepfold, and so are we. In I Samuel 13:14b, the Word states: "the Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over His people." Having been tried and found faithful, the Lord commanded Samuel: "Arise, anoint him, for this is He."

Let us, therefore, determine in our hearts to be faithful in that place where God has set us. Let us not flee from the circumstances which God has ordained to train, test, and approve us. God is still seeking "a man after His own heart" who will feed His people "after the integrity of his heart, and guide them by the skillfulness of his hands."