Faithful in What Is Least

Well, brethren, have you ever found yourself going through your daily routine and asking yourself, does all the small stuff really matter anyway? Does all the small stuff really matter anyway? You know, maybe you're at home loading up the dishwasher for the tenth time this week. Right? You did it last night, you did it yesterday morning, you did it the previous day before that, and you're doing it again. This is just day-to-day routine. It's kind of mundane, right? Does it matter? Maybe you're balancing the checkbook again. You just balance it last payday, and here we go again. Maybe you're folding another load of, you know, that never-endless laundry. That seems to be... and just... you know, if you don't have the right balance in the laundry basket and the washer and the dryer, where do you even put it all anyway? But here you are again, loading another load in, folding it, putting it away. Maybe on the job, you're putting in your effort to show up five minutes early every day, rather than five minutes late, like maybe many of your coworkers do, but no one really seems to take notice. Maybe you're the one brewing coffee before the business meeting. You know, it's the corporate board meeting, and people file in, and they just, you know, coffee's always there, and room's always set up, and after the meeting ends and people leave, you take up the chairs, you put them away, and nobody really seems to give you the appreciation or the praise you deserve. It's just, you know, it's one of these things that gets done, until one day it's not done. And then people notice. It's like, well, somebody ought to take care of that, you know, but you've done it, and you've done it, and you've done it. And, you know, in the people's eyes, maybe it's a little thing. Maybe it's a small menial task, but it's something you do anyway. Maybe you're saying no to taking shortcuts when no one's watching, even when it would be easier to cut corners, you know, to just kind of do something halfway, tuck it away, nobody really know, I can get out of work an hour early and go fishing, you know, and no one would know but me. But you say no to those things. You go in the extra mile, even when you're the only one who seems to gain satisfaction from all your efforts. You know, in a world that praises the big, the bold, the visibly flashy efforts and accomplishments, you know, we can often find ourselves wondering again, does all of this little stuff really matter anyway? There's a parable of Jesus Christ that actually speaks to this point, and it's meant to, you know, give us some insight into actually what God is looking for in His people. And this parable might seem a little strange up front, but eventually gets around to what we're addressing here today. So I'd like to begin there in Luke chapter 16. Luke chapter 16, again, in our mind, asking, does any of this little stuff, the day-to-day routine, does it really matter anyway?

Luke chapter 16 and verse 1, Jesus said to His disciples, There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So He called them to Himself, and He said, What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward. You know, this point was this man was being dishonest. We would say maybe he's cooking the books, skimming a little off the top, whatever he's doing, that kind of gets under the radar of his boss, but now it's come to the attention of his master. He says, You're fired! And oh, by the way, bring the books. We're going to see what it is that's been going on here. Sort of this man's last duty. It says, verse 3, Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig. I'm ashamed to beg.

He says, I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses. He's saying, You know what? I'm going to make sure that when I'm out of a job, I have somewhere to go, where somebody else will receive me in. And I won't just be, you know, out on the street somewhere. I'm going to make some friends here. Verse 5, he says, So he called every one of the masters debtors to him. And he said to the first, How much do you owe my master? And he said, A hundred measures of oil. So he said to him, Take your bill, sit down quickly, and write 50. You know, midnight sale, 50% off this moment. Verse 7, then he said to another, How much do you owe? And he said, A hundred measures of wheat. And he said to him, Take your bill, and write 80. Okay, so this unjust steward, he's doing this big favor to his master's debtors, right? Greatly reducing what it is they owe. Because he knows he's out of a job. He knows when he opens the books on these things, there's no going back. So, all right, maybe we go to one of these other people and just say, Remember what I did for you. Now, maybe you can do something for me in my time of need. This is what he's doing. Verse 8, So the master commended the unjust steward, because he had dealt shrewdly.

It says, For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. And I say to you, this is now Jesus Christ, I say to you, Make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. Now, this can seem a bit confusing and understand Jesus isn't praising the unjust steward for his poor conduct.

But what he is doing is pointing out the clever means by which this man went about providing for himself.

He's saying that God's people are not always so wise in the ways of how they use physical resources and what they do with that was at their disposal. And in many ways, this world is more shrewd in many ways than the sons of light.

Okay, so he's not praising this man for his dishonorable behavior, but it's kind of like, you know, the sons of light, frankly, in how maybe they handle their finances, their business affairs, how they wrap things together that need to be wrapped together. He says, actually, sometimes, even in their generation, the sons of this world are more shrewd than the sons of light.

But there is a lesson that can be learned from this, and this is the main point, verse 10. Here's Jesus Christ's words again. He says, He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. And he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. The point is, we're being judged for what we do with the things we've been given stewardship of.

We're being judged. We're being watched. We're being examined by God for what it is we do and how well we handle the things we've been given stewardship of. How we conduct ourselves when no one is watching, that's under scrutiny. How we manage the minor details of our lives, all these things are reflections, brethren, of our true character, who and what we are on the inside.

God is watching. Christ is watching because these things reveal who we are at our core. Going on in verse 11, Jesus says, Therefore, in light of this, if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous man-man, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?

Okay, faithfulness with what we've been given, again, is important to God. And it's like, if you've been entrusted with something, if your employer, for example, has entrusted you with a company truck, and you treat it like a hot rod, and you race it, and you trash it, and you do all these things, it's like, okay, maybe your employer doesn't see that. God sees that. It's like, why would I trust you actually with a, I don't know, heavenly chariot? When this is your reaction in the little things. He's watching. He's watching. He wants to know how we will handle the little things that we're entrusted with, because how we manage the small things determines our trustworthiness in the bigger ones.

Day-to-day life, a routine, maybe just simple things we do day in, day out, the little things. And we say, is this even worth the effort? The point is, indeed, these things can have eternal implications. After all, if we can't manage our finances in this age, how can we be rightly expected to handle the Pearl of Great Price, the most valuable treasure we could ever come across? You know, we mismanage that when it comes into our grasp.

If we can't navigate our family relationships wisely, how can we be expected to function well in God's eternal family? And so, in so many ways, what we've been given stewardship of in this life, our jobs, our finances, our time, our words, our relationships, big and small, they're all small compared to the glory that will be revealed in us, and yet they all play a vital role in revealing to God the level of our character and our trustworthiness when it comes to big matters. What do you deal with in your life that seems little? That seems petty. Maybe that doesn't seem like it adds up to much of anything, and yet it's part of your responsibility.

It's what you do anyway. How do you look at that? Do you look at it as a matter of testing your character and your trustworthiness and your faithfulness before God? The lesson here is to not be dishonest, again, this parable, but rather to be wise and faithful, especially with what's been entrusted to you, even when it seems like a small thing.

And again, Jesus said, he who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. I know when I had my business and I had employees, you know, you watched them pretty carefully, and you came to understand pretty quickly what their attitudes and proclivities were, and you didn't just turn the keys over and turn responsibility over to just anybody. You wanted somebody that actually followed the directions, even if it seemed like a little thing. You know, pick up the garbage, don't mow over it and shred it into 30 pieces in the person's front yard and leave.

Is that a little thing? Well, not to the homeowner, not to the business owner who's going to get the call, but maybe it is to the guy behind the mower because I got to get up off the mower. I got to pick that up. But again, you know, this is a limited example, but I'm watching, and that tells me, can I trust this person actually with greater responsibility? How much more God as he evaluates our life, and we live each and every day?

The word faithful in the Greek means trustworthy, reliable, steadfast, and loyal. To call someone a faithful individual means they're consistent in their character, they're unwavering in their commitment, and dependable. Right? You send them to do something, or you ask them for a favor, or they're coming to help, and you know they will do what it is they've said they will do. They're dependable, whether they're being watched or not. Faithfulness is not necessarily about how much you have, or the position that you hold.

It's more about how you steward what has been entrusted to you. What are you doing with what you have? No matter what station in life, no matter what position. Does God see you as dependable and faithful, even in the little things? I don't know how many of us follow professional basketball. Are there any NBA fans in here? Anybody watch basketball consistently?

Okay. I have at least one, and there's maybe two or three closet fans here, I would dare to guess. If you're like me, you know, the Super Bowl, I watch the Super Bowl. I love football, but I just don't have time to follow it. But, you know, basketball too. You tend to pay attention to the big games anyway. One of the most well-known names in basketball today is Stephen Curry.

You heard of Stephen Curry? That's a big name. Now that you've heard it, you may hear it again. He's the point guard for the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry is a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Championship Champion among many other titles that he holds. Nicknamed Chef Curry, he's regarded by many as the greatest shooter of all time. He has the gift to just sink the ball time after time after time. Curry currently holds the record for the most three-pointers in NBA history.

You know, this isn't the up-close shot. This is outside, you know, the perimeter line and the three-point land where you're sending that ball long ways into the hoop.

He holds the record for the most three-pointers in NBA history. He also has the highest career free-throw percentage rate in NBA history, 91%. So, you line up at the free-throw line after a foul and you get a free opportunity to make a point without anybody opposing you. But you still got to make the basket. And his success rate over the course of his career is 91%.

Which, frankly, is incredible. You give me a week to practice and you could maybe move that decimal over one point. You know, Paul Moody, 9.1% career success. You know, this is impressive. Curry has led the league in three-pointers made per season for a record eight times. In 2016, he broke his own record for three-pointers made in a regular season with 402 in one season.

Says that he made at least one three-pointer in a record-breaking 268 consecutive games from 2018 to 2023. So, you know, didn't miss a game without making a three-pointer at least one in every game for 268 consecutive games.

So, this guy by all rights is a superstar, okay, in his field. He's doing big things. He's well-recognized as, frankly, incredible. But there was a quiet and an unseen journey that led to his success that he lives with today. And I'll just say, because I Googled it, his salary this year for this season is $56 million for one season. And he's extended contract for another year. Next season, he signed for over $62 million for that season. This guy is an incredible player. But again, there's been a quiet and an unseen journey that's led to his success. You see, in high school, Curry was passed over. Scouts would come and watch his game. You know, various college ball coaches would come and look in, and they passed over him saying he was too small.

I don't know how tall he was in high school. He's currently 6'2". And you might think, well, that's not a small guy, but just to give you some perspective, the average height in the NBA today is 6'7". Okay, so Curry, at 6'2", is kind of considered a little bit of a small guy. Curry was also considered not athletic enough and unlikely to succeed at the next level.

And as I said, colleges came and looked and went and passed him up, and eventually he signed with a rather small, unknown university of the time, Davidson College. And with him, he played NCAA, or excuse me, not NBA, but NCAA College basketball. So, somebody might think that would be discouraging. Too short, not athletic enough. You're okay in your element here in high school, but you don't have what it takes to rise up to the next level. But Steffen didn't get discouraged. He capitalized on what he could control. In life, there's things within our control, and there's things outside our control. You know what? He couldn't add an inch to his stature.

6'2", right? That's where he would be. But there were things in his control. And he learned to capitalize on those things. He could refine his skills to precision. So, he went to work. He practiced his shooting for hours every day. You know, you have college basketball practice, and after practice was over, he was out on the court. And he would shoot, and he would shoot, and he would shoot from position to position, position, until it literally just became muscle memory. He focused on form. He focused on discipline.

He honed the tiny details, his footwork, his dribbling, his positioning. Again, he can't add to the height, but he could add to the perfecting of the skill, what it was that was within his control. Over time, his consistency in the small things built a strong foundation, and that foundation launched him into a career that has changed the game of basketball. Again, he is an incredible player, and anybody that follows basketball at all has heard of Steph Curry.

Quoting from Wikipedia, quote, it says, Steph Curry's success in the NBA is not just due to his natural talent. It's the result of an intense and meticulously designed workout routine. His combination of shooting drills, strength training, agility exercises, and mental conditioning keeps him performing at elite level year after year. End quote. Today, Steph Curry is known for his skill, but that is not all that he is known for. He is known also for his character, for his faith, and for his commitment to excellence both on and off the court. He is what we would call, in a common term, a profession Christian.

He has espoused his belief in Jesus Christ. He has made his faith a part of actually his image as an athlete. And in fact, Philippians 4, verse 13 is a verse he quotes often, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. And in fact, he loves that verse so much it's inscribed, Philippians 4, 13, on the tongue of his basketball shoes. Okay? Curry is known as someone who has stayed humble, teachable, and faithful, and he lives by a simple principle.

It's one that his dad taught him. His dad was an NBA player as well. And his dad taught him, quote, be the best at the things you can control. That's an important principle. Be the best at the things you can control. Again, he couldn't add to his height. He couldn't add to certain other things that were outside his control. He could add to what he could control.

And he could become the best that anyone has ever seen in what it is that he could control by his hand, by his practice. Again, doing the small things day after day after day. You know, this is a biblical principle. We would say, whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might. Put your all into it, whether it's big or small. Whether it's visibly public or whether it's quiet off in a corner somewhere. So what's in your environment of control today? What's in my environment of control today?

What is it that I should be putting my intense effort into? Even if it's something I think is ordinary, even if it's something I think is small. What can we improve on with diligence now? Again, Jesus said, he who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much. So our Father's watching. And he says, if my child is dedicated and faithful in everything he puts his hand to, I know he will be dedicated and faithful when he can put his hand to everything. An important principle for us to consider day by day. The lesson of the parable reminds us that being trustworthy with the little things prepares us for the greater things of God.

But you know, our human proclivity is to wait. Wait for the spotlight. Wait till you're in the open. Wait till you are where everybody can see and then you put forward your best for all to see and all to praise. Well, we should do our best in those cases, but we should not wait until there's praise from others to do what it is that we can do to our best.

Being faithful behind the scenes, even when no one is watching. That's what God's looking for. Faithful in our thoughts, faithful in our attitudes, faithful in the work of our hands. Again, this isn't a sermon to try to categorize things as, this is more important than this.

This is actually a sermon to say even what we would tend to put towards the bottom of the list are important and they deserve our full focus. It's doing your best when no one notices, but you notice and God notices. It's serving with joy, even when it feels small.

It's choosing integrity when shortcuts are easier. We may sometimes think the little things don't matter, but in the scope of God's kingdom, small things are the proving ground for the great things. And brethren, greatness begins in the quiet places. That's where greatness is developed. Not out in the open, not up on the stage, not in somewhere that is bold and flashy. Maybe your skill gets you there.

But greatness is developed in the quiet places. Again, Stephen Curry, probably for hours and hours on end, had the gym to himself after people went home. And he would practice, and he would practice, and he would practice. And his greatness, now on the world stage, we could say, began in the quiet places.

And you know, it's the same for us as well. And it was the same for King David. Let's look at David's example. 1 Samuel 16, verse 1.

1 Samuel 16, verse 1. David is a prime example of greatness beginning in the quiet places, with what most would consider the little things. 1 Samuel 16, verse 1. Now the Lord said to Samuel, How long will you mourn for Saul? Seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel. He says, Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse, the Bethlehemite. For I have provided myself a king among his sons. 2 And recall that Saul was repeatedly, what? Unfaithful in the little things. Right? Go back and look at his record, and time and time again his shortcomings. In his own eyes, these were little things, offering to sacrifice, because he couldn't wait for Samuel. To him, it seemed like a bigger thing to pass that up, to not completely destroy the enemy as he was commanded to save the king and to save alive the livestock and these things of value. He didn't think that was such a big thing. He says, But I have done what God gave me. And Samuel said, You have not. And because you have not, he has taken the kingdom away from you. So, in part of this was Saul's downfall, failure in the little things, and it added up to a big deal in the eyes of God. So now God is sending Samuel to anoint the one whom he had called a couple chapters previous, a man after my own heart.

Of course, we know this is King David. Jumping down to verse 6 of 1 Samuel 16, it says, So it was when they came, all the sons of Jesse now, there was Samuel. And Samuel looked at Eliab, and he said, Surely the Lord's anointed is before him. But the Lord said to Samuel, Did not look at his appearance, or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance. But the Lord looks at the heart. You know, God sees the faithfulness and the dedication of the inner man. He sees what we cannot see in one another as human beings. You know, we try to see the heart. You know, we look for the fruit. And as Jesus said, By their fruits you'll know them. So fruits are a good indicator. So we look at fruit, but even there, there can be a level of disconnect. God can see right into the heart the inner motives and the thoughts of these individuals. And God said to Samuel, This isn't the one. So Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Then Jesse made Shema come pass by. And he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel. You know, son after son after son. And Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen these. And Samuel said to Jesse, Are all the young men here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest. And there he is. He's out keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him, for we will not sit down until he comes here. Okay, David, he's out keeping the sheep. You know, keeping the responsibility his father gave him. All the other brothers had gathered in. They'd passed before the prophet. David's out, what, doing the little thing. At least compared to being anointed king, right? Isn't tenting sheep a little thing compared to being anointed the king of Israel?

Maybe? Or maybe not?

Verse 12. So we sent and brought him in. David was ruddy with bright eyes and good-looking, and the Lord said, Arise, anoint him, for this is the one. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose and went to Rama. King David's story begins in very humble circumstances, in the quiet places, right? Out in the wilderness, out tending his father's sheep, he was a shepherd boy, the youngest among the many sons of Jesse. And that was a quiet life.

It was a life far from the spotlight, far from anyone's recognition. In fact, nobody even thought David high enough up on the totem pole to even call him in, as Samuel was there to come see all the sons of Jesse. But understand, there was something about David that God saw and that God could use for a greater purpose. And it began in the quiet place. And it began with the little things.

If we follow the trail of David's life, we find the valuable lesson he learned as a diligent shepherd prepared him to serve God in ways beyond probably anything he could imagine as he was out there tending sheep. He would be the shepherd of Israel. Shepherd of the people of God. 1 Samuel 17.

1 Samuel 17.

Can you imagine David thinking that this is what he was destined for? It's in the day-to-day working of the field. 1 Samuel 17. Here we're coming into the story of Israel gathered against the Philistines. We recall the Philistine giant Goliath comes out each day to present himself. Taunts the Israelites. Challenges. Their greatest warrior to come take him out. 1 Samuel 17. Verse 13. Let's pick up the story. It says, The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. And the name of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliyab, the firstborn.

Next to him Abinadab and the third Shema. We saw them by name as they had presented themselves to Jesse. They were looked over. Verse 14. David was the youngest, and the three oldest followed Saul. It says, But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. He's still following through with the charge. Feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. Even though he'd already been anointed king, and even though God had not yet opened the way for him to assume that position, in the meantime we find David, again faithfully, still in his stewardship with his father's sheep, tending them, watching over them, doing the little things.

I mean, that's a little... He is anointed king already, and he carries on faithfully in something that is quite small by comparison. Verse 16. It says, And the Philistine drew near, presented himself forty days, morning and evening. And Jesse said to his son David, Take now for your brothers an ephah of dried grain and ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp. You know, King Boy, Gobi Gopher, take some food to your brothers, go bring back word.

Don't forget about the sheep. Oh right, you were anointed king, weren't you? But, you know, keep up on these things. You kind of get the idea as you read through the story that his family didn't necessarily hold him in the high regard that God and Samuel had held him in, at least not yet at this point.

Verse 18. And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of their thousands, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them. And now Saul and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting the Philistines. So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper. Right? Still not neglecting the little responsibility. I mean, this was the family's work. It was a big responsibility, but again, by scope, he's king.

And he's future king. He's still tending the sheep. Took the things, and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp, as the army was about to go out to fight, and shouting for the battle. For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army, and David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

He talked with them, as he did. There was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines. And he spoke according to the same words, and so David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were greatly, dreadfully afraid.

And the men of Israel said, Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And it shall be that the man who kills him, the king, will enrich with great riches. He will give him his daughter. He will give his father's house exemption from taxes in Israel. No small thing.

And David spoke to the men, and then he stood by, saying, What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? He says, And the people answered him in this manner, saying, So shall it be done for the man who kills him? Now, Eliyev, his oldest brother, heard when he spoke to the men, and Eliyev's anger was aroused against David. And he said, Why did you come down here?

And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? You know, shepherd boy, gopher. Who do you think you are? And by the way, what have you done with those few sheep? This was an insult. Again, in their eyes, David was still very little, the bottom of the totem pole.

But again, it gives glimpses along the way into the fact that even after his anointing, he was faithful in what could be considered little things by comparison. His brother said, I know your pride, the insolence of your heart, for you've come down to see the battle. Verse 29, And David said, What have I done now? Is there not a cause? And he turned from him toward another and said the same thing, and these people answered him as the first ones did. He says, Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul, and he sent for him.

And David said to Saul, Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Saul said to David, You're not able to go stand against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And I want you to notice why David says he is qualified for this fight. Verse 34, The David said to Saul, Your servant used to keep his father's sheep. And when a lion or a bear came and took the 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 it and killed it. David's faithfulness, okay, his faithfulness shines through long before he ever stood before Goliath, long before he ever sat upon a throne. He wasn't just a hireling doing a job for pay. He was a true shepherd at heart.

He actually grabbed the lion by the beard, took his sword and killed it. If you can imagine, that's bravery, that's courage, but that's also not saying, oh, it's just a lamb, just a lamb. It's disposable anyway. This was a true shepherd. David was faithful in the little things, faithful when no one was watching, and faithful even when his own life was on the line. That kind of character was noticed by God. Again, before he ever led a nation, David proved himself faithful by tending sheep, faithful in the little things. Verse 36, David says, 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.

Moreover, David said, the Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear. See, God was there, and God saw. David knew God's involvement in his life. He says, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, go, and the Lord be with you. Now, I'm not going to read through the rest of the story. I'll leave that to you to study out on your own, but we know what transpired. David with boldness, right? With a sling, with three small stones. He only needed one, it seems.

Confronted the giant, this one, defying the armies of the living God, and with faith in God, and trust, frankly, in his own skill, right? Where did he hone the skill with a sling? I would contend it was in the wilderness, tending the sheep, again, faithful in the little things, and it came to play truly when it mattered. But again, he rejected the king's armor. He went up against Goliath with a sling and a stone, and he killed him that day.

He took his head from him, and he delivered Israel, the nation of God's people. The young shepherd boy who had shown himself faithful in the little things, now had, by God's help, shown himself faithful in an even greater matter. And it's a cycle that you see repeated all throughout David's life. The fact that the little things in the beginning, when he worked in the quiet place, when he was, frankly, nobody in obscurity, at least in terms of the eyes of men, David was developing something in the small matters that was great in the eyes of God, and that would lead him into positions of greatness.

And frankly, it puts him into the position of his potential, yet even following the return of Jesus Christ. If we jump forward to King David, his actual rule on the throne and his kingship, we find an interesting description about him in Psalm 78.

So let's go there next, Psalm 78, verse 67.

How did the time in the quiet places with the little things prepare him for what God had in store? Psalm 78, verse 67 says, But chose the tribe of Judah, okay, Judah was the tribe from which King David came, from which the line of kings from him down came, from which the Messiah came, okay, he chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which he loved. Verse 69, and he built his sanctuary like the heights, like the earth, which he has established forever.

He also chose David, his servant, took him from the sheepfolds. Again, when God chose David, he was lowly. He was a shepherd boy. He was last on the totem pole of his brothers, not even worthy to get a call before Samuel. And that's where God took him from. Took him from the sheepfolds, verse 71, from following the use that had young, he brought him to shepherd Jacob, his people, and Israel, his inheritance. So as a young man tending his father's sheep, David was being prepared for something great. His faithfulness in the little things had molded him to what he needed to be for God's great calling, to be the shepherd of Israel. Verse 72 says, so he, speaking of David, shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and he guided them by the skillfulness of his hands. God saw the integrity of David's heart from his youth, a man with his father's sheep. And in that setting, it was tested, it was developed, it was proven faithful. The skillfulness of his hands began in that setting as well.

1 Chronicles 18, verse 14 tells us that David reigned over all Israel an administered judgment and justice to all his people. Again, that's 1 Chronicles 18, verse 14. And because he was faithful with the sheep, God trusted him with a nation. From the shepherd's field to the shepherd in the palace, it was a heart that was developed in the quiet places.

And through faithfulness in the little things. Ultimately, Scripture shows that this is not the end of the line for David's shepherding skills. The Bible reveals that God again will use the resurrected King David to rule over the regathered nations of Israel and Judah, as he settles them into their land, and David will again be their shepherd.

Ezekiel 34, verse 22. Let's take a glimpse at one example.

Ezekiel 34, verse 22.

What does God yet have in store for the shepherd of Israel?

Ezekiel 34, verse 22.

Therefore, and this is a future prophecy. Therefore, I will save my flock. God oftentimes calls his people his flock, the sheep of his flock. And they shall no longer be a prey. He says, I will judge between sheep and sheep. And I will establish one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them. And notice who it is. My servant David. He shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. Verse 24. And I the Lord will be their God. And my servant David, a prince among them, I the Lord have spoken.

David's journey to greatness didn't begin on the battlefield, and it didn't begin in the palace. It began in the wilderness, in the quiet places, tending his father's sheep, doing the day-to-day tasks, doing the little things that some thought really didn't matter. Day after day, he carried out his humble task with diligence and courage, even when no one was watching it. Not doing it for recognition and reward, but doing it simply because it was his responsibility. It was his stewardship, and he was faithful to what it was that was given to his hand. Whatever he found his hand to do, he did it with his might.

Brethren, don't ever think the little things of this life don't really matter. In fact, they have eternal consequences. David's story is a clear illustration of that. The day-to-day things, our dedication, our faithfulness, how we handered the matters of our stewardship that we've been given, no matter how small reveals, much to God about our character and about how he can use us in his service. And he is watching.

We can rest assured, our Father in Heaven is watching.

Let's conclude in Luke chapter 19.

Luke chapter 19, another parable of Jesus Christ, this time the parable of the meanest. And it's interesting how many of the illustrations come back to this same specific point.

Luke chapter 19 and verse 12.

Verse 13, it says, So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten meanest, and he said to them, Do business till I come. But his citizens hated him, and said a delegation after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might show how much every man had gained by trading. Essentially, they're now going to come and give an account for their stewardship. Verse 16, then came to the first. The first said, Master, your meaner has earned ten meanest. And he said to him, Well done, good servant, because you were faithful, notice, in a very little, meanest nothing, by comparison to anything great. Yet because you were faithful in very little, have authority over ten cities. Right? He had seen his faithfulness and his responsibility, and then now what was given to him as a stewardship could increase. Ten cities. Verse 18, and the second came, saying, Master, your meaner has earned five meanest. Likewise, he said to him, You also be over five cities. Then another came in, saying, Master, here is your meaner, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief.

He says, For I feared you, because you are an austere man, you collect where you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow. And he said to him, Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit, and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, for at least at my coming I might have collected it with interest.

And he said to those who stood by, Take the meaner from him, and give it to him who has ten meaners. But they said to him, Master, he has ten meaners. For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given, and from him who does not have, even what he has, will be taken away from him.

Brethren, how we handle what God gives us to manage is important.

Our time, our finances, our resources, and whatever form those may take, our thoughts, the work of our hands, our relationships, big and small, those things are all important to God. We have a stewardship entrusted to us, and God is watching.

When God looks at us, at you and I, does he see someone who can be trusted with the true eternal riches he has to offer, or does he see someone who cannot even handle themselves in the stewardship of this daily life? This is a proving ground for eternal life in the kingdom of God, and what we do today tells God much about our character.

Again, back to our opening question. Does all of this little day-to-day stuff in our life really matter anyway? And the answer is clearly, yes. Indeed, it matters. It matters because God sees, and it matters because God knows that he or she who is faithful in what is least is also faithful in much.