IN THE FERTILE VALLEYS

But David said to Saul, "Your servant was tending his father's sheep.  When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him." -1 Samuel 17:34-35

Okay... something's a little weird with that picture.  Think for a moment of your local high school jock.  Now, give him a shepherd's staff and put him in some authentic shepherd's garb, circa 1200 B.C.  Imagine him sitting on a large rock overlooking a herd of seventy-five, perhaps eighty sheep.  It's a very pleasant day; the grass is green, the sun is shining, the sheep are drinking casually from a meandering stream... but what's this?  Something is coming through the bushes!  It's a bear!  Never fear, sheep- Mr. Manliness will save the day!  After all, what's 600 pounds of claw, tooth, and muscle compared to the winner of last year's school-wide wrestling tournament?  Just stand back, helpless creatures, and watch while your fearless shepherd deals with this small problem.  Wait- Mr. Manliness?  Where'd he go?!

I don't know how many of you have had run-ins with bears or lions- I'm guessing a very small percentage- but if you look up photos or footage of the beasts, it doesn't take much to say that a UFC legend doesn't stand a chance.  So how, exactly, does a teenaged shepherd boy manage to not only ward off, but kill one of these creatures?  I'm sure David was no slouch; he would have kept in top physical condition, and we all know he was a pretty good shot with the sling/stone package.  But really- a bear?  These things are huge!  Surely any person in their right mind wouldn't take on a predator like this for the sake of one sheep.  Oh, they might run around yelling or screaming- keep in mind the fact that rifles didn't exist three thousand years ago- but to tackle the thing?  He must have been off his rocker!

Actually, no.  The answer lies a couple verses further down the passage.  Verse 37: "And David said, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.'  And Saul said to David, 'Go, and may the Lord be with you.'"  David didn't go after this bear because he felt capable of it, or to prove how macho he was.  Nobody was looking on; he had nothing to prove.  What he did have was a commitment to the job his father had given him- to tend to the sheep, as humble as that may sound- as well as an incredible faith in his God.  No amount of testosterone can convince a guy to take on a bear for the sake of one sheep; most of us would be standing back, thanking God for providing the sacrificial lamb so that we would not be in the bear's jaws!  David, however, had faith that God would give him the strength needed to do his job well.

What I'd like to point out today is that faith like this doesn't just pop up when we need it.  It's something we have to build and strengthen, even when we feel self-sufficient.  David probably spent most of his shepherding time in green valleys where he felt relatively safe- plenty of water for the sheep, shelter from storms, and abundant food for him and his flock.  In the fertile valleys of life, it is easy to become complacent and to lose our dependency on God.  We start to feel like we're doing a pretty good job of living our own life, and we figure God will be so proud of us for doing so marvelously!  What might have happened to David had he focused on bodybuilding rather than spiritual growth?  What if he had taken on that bear out of pride and overconfidence, rather than trusting the Lord for deliverance?  Well, let's just say he probably wouldn't have been around to take down Goliath.  Fortunately for him- and for all of Israel- he decided to make God his primary focus in the fertile valleys, and not to let his relationship with his Lord slip into the background when everything seemed to be going well.  Friend, never let down your guard.  Stay strong in the Lord, even when it seems you don't need to!  You never know when a lion is coming around the corner.  Even in the lush valleys of life, keep up the faith, and always seek to grow closer to your Savior.  He is the One who will deliver you from the paw of the lion and the bear.