But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”
— First Samuel 17:34-36
Although David didn’t realized it at the time, his experience as a shepherd was part of his training to be king. David was the only king of Israel who was called as a shepherd. He used many of the principles he learned as a shepherd to rule over God’s flock.
Adapted from David: After God’s Heart, page 45.
Tomorrow: “Trained to be a King (2)”