lack of positioning

It is not easy to get a sense of where we are in the Lord. Men tend to assign value to quantity of works, and the number of successful projects they have completed. We measure ourselves against each other, and often come up short. But God does not esteem our works the way we do.


Two famous men of faith were not well-positioned to receive their calling; they were sheep herders. When Moses found the Lord in the burning bush there was no indication that he was any more faithful then the days before. In fact, shepherding is a boring and isolating occupation. Other than his care of the sheep, who did Moses minister to? He had a family, but no fellowship with anyone in God’s current religious system. What had Moses accomplished? Yet at God’s appointed time, He revealed His will to Moses, calling Him to save His people from the Egyptians.

What Moses had going for him in the deserts of Midian while he shepherded was his acquaintance with silence. He learned patience, and he learned to listen. He learned what was normal, and what was unusual. He learned what was safe for his sheep and for his family, and what was not. They were skills that qualified Moses to lead God’s people.

The second famous leader that was a shepherd was David. He had an equaling boring and isolating occupation as Moses. His father did not even mention him when Samuel came to the family home to select the next king. There is no indication that David had been doing something that day which positioned him to be the chosen one. Yet David had been faithful to protect his father’s sheep against bears and lions. He also had been in a place to learn patience, and being accustomed to silence, to listen. We do not see that David had a relationship with the current religious system, but he did, however, sing to the sheep. All David’s ministry was done where no one could see him, out of the sight of those who could recommend him.

Both Moses and David were sincere, being who they really were before the Lord’s eyes. Do not feel discouraged that you are in a silent and isolated place, as if you will never be given a calling from the Lord. It is not the position of having done many works that qualifies you. It is not the position of well-known people that can recommend you for ministry that will make ministry happen for you. It is the Lord. In His right time, He will call. Let the silence work listening in you, and the isolation, a sincere heart that is content to be just who you are in the Lord’s eyes. He is faithful and will not pass you over. Be encouraged. Amen