Experience

Sometimes as we go through trying events, or see others going through them, we try to understand why the events are happening. Is it God's judgment and punishment, or His correction of a spiritual flaw? These might be the answer. However, we need to be careful of our assumptions, because these trying circumstances might be something else entirely, in fact, that is most likely the case.
We know God through what we study of Him in His word, and we also know Him through our experiences with Him. Our experiences with God are powerful teachers.
A good example of this is the story of David and Goliath. At the time of their epic confrontation, David was young. He had been a shepherd of his father's sheep. However, while acting as shepherd, he had some trying and dreadful experiences. To chase predators away, he had to become expert using a slingshot, or sling. This is not a skill he was born with, but takes much practice, especially in hitting a moving target. Wolves, lions, and even bears, can move at a high rate of speed to make an attack against a herd or flock. To become accurate with a sling must have meant devoting many hours to practice, and having many failures along the way to proficiency. David's experience against predators did not just involve long range encounters. David gave King Saul this account:
"Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion (violence, piercing, plucking) or a bear (quiet, creeping, strength) 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."  1 Sam. 17:34-35
What a horrible experience to have to face a vicious predator face to face, and kill it with bare hands. The experience of having to reach in and take the lamb out of the mouth of these beasts must be harrowing. All of these experiences, however, were a teacher, and a preparation. David's experience was in overcoming these ferocious, devouring, unreasoning animals. Compared to them, Goliath was as nothing. David's experience assured him:
"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."      1 Sam. 17:37
When King Saul tried to clothe David with his own large armor for the encounter with Goliath, David had to reject it. Fighting in this type of armor was not David's experience, and the armor would only hinder him. It didn't make sense, though, to face Goliath of Gath (royal city and one of five chief cities of the Philistines- also the trough in which grapes are trodden with the feet), without armor. Goliath was armed with an enormous spear, and a sword. He also had a servant who carried his huge shield separately. However, David remained faithful to what his experience had taught him. David's armor was not the natural armor of men, but the supernatural whole armor of God (Eph. 6:13-17). David earned this armor piece by piece as he trained under the Headship of God, and experienced His Lordship.
Goliath mocked and disdained young David as an opponent, but David had become so fast and accurate with his sling (to grow strong, prevail) that Goliath was dead from the sling stone(precious stone, sacred stone, hailstone, to build a house, to establish a family, to cause to continue) before he could even get near David. Our teaching experiences with God, though they may be challenging to us on every level, are preparing us for the Goliath (to be uncovered, revealed, disclosed, to be removed) to come. However, as David found, Goliath will be as nothing because of what we have experienced in God.
In Psalm 144, a Psalm written by King David, he blesses the LORD for his training:
"Blessed be the LORD my Rock, Who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle."
In Psalms 56:11, and 118:6, David spoke from his experience when he declared:
"In God have I put my trust...the LORD is on my side, I will not be afraid; What can man do unto me?"
When we are experiencing this rigorous, life-saving training, do we bless the LORD for it, as David did? As for myself, I spend most of that time, crying, moaning, and complaining. Oh, and let's not forget begging: begging for it to stop:
"...a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet (beat) me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing, I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness..."     The Apostle Paul, 2 Cor. 12:7-9
By the way, David put five smooth stones in his shepherd's bag that day to face Goliath, although he only needed to use one. Five is the number of grace, God's provision to Paul in the verse above. Grace is also the fullness of Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:14, 16-17).
If I'm smart, I will thank Him, praise Him, glorify and bless His holy name, as David did, for every minute of this experiential training, because a Goliath is coming.
When a Goliath appears, and he will, if you have not submitted to this prior, prophetically equipping, teaching and training experience, you will hope someone is around who has. The seven sons of Sceva wished that they had such an experienced, trained believer available.
Seeing the ministry of Paul (who had much arduous training experience with God), as he cast out devils, and healed the sick by the authority and Name that he had learned through these experiences, the seven sons of the chief priest, Sceva (mind reader, left handed), tried to use the name of Jesus during an exorcism. They had heard the name of Jesus as Paul preached it,  but they had never experienced Jesus, nor submitted to His spiritual training. Without that training experience, and experiential knowledge in the Lord, they were helpless before a strong evil spirit, who overcame them, and prevailed against them (Acts 19:11-17).
A Goliath is coming, and will appear. Those who have experiential training will be able to prevail against him in the Name of the LORD. 

Our Father trains us, and gives us experiences in overcoming knowledge.

"Grace to Overcome"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkQ5ZfVIXw8

"Whom Shall I Fear"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0gu0nOaFsI

Shepherd

"The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want."
                     Psalm 23:1

We are very familiar with this beautiful Psalm. Our Father in heaven, and His Son, Jesus, are both referred to as shepherds. When we consider this, we have a very pastoral and gentle image of a kind shepherd gently tending to the everyday needs of his sheep. And so the Father does for us continuously. Scripture says of Him:

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd;
He will gather the lambs with His arm,
And carry them in His bosom,
And gently lead those who are with young."
                           Isa. 40:11

Another image of the shepherd is given in scripture. Jesus says of Himself in Jn 10:11, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
What Jesus reveals here is part of the special nature of the shepherd, that we sometimes overlook. A shepherd not only provides food and shelter for his sheep, but he also fends off predators of the flock, even at the risk of his own life.
David, before he became king of Israel, was a shepherd in his youth. He was very familiar with the duties of a shepherd, particularly when it came to protecting the flock of his father, Jesse. David recounts to Saul the occasion when he fought both a bear, and a lion that had taken one of the lambs of his father's flock. He not only killed the two predators, but rescued the lamb right out of their mouths (1 Sam 17:34-35). David had the experience in the LORD of himself and his lamb being delivered out of the mouths of fierce beasts.
We are told in scripture of another instance involving David, and his experience as a shepherd. He had been in the territory of Carmel, with his men, before he became king. While there, he came across the flocks and herds of a rich man named Nabal. As long as David was in the territory, Nabal's shepherds were protected, and all predators were kept from the flocks by day and night. Not one animal was lost, as long as the shepherds stayed with David and his men 
(1 Sam. 25:15-16).
In another instance, King David's anger was kindled as the prophet Nathan told him a tale of a poor man's only lamb being taken from him by a rich man. He even told the prophet that he would have this rich man killed for taking the lamb. Even though he was a king at this point in his life, David was moved in his shepherd's heart on behalf of this poor man and his lamb. He didn't immediately understand that the prophet was telling David about the king's own sin in taking another man's wife. When he did understand the point of the story, he was repentant for his actions (2 Sam. 12:1-5).
As for David's shepherd heart, willing to fight for his flock, the LORD said, "I have found David, the son of Jesse. a man after My own heart, who will do all My will." (Acts 13:22). David had the same heart as His heavenly Father - a shepherd's heart.
Dealing so closely with with predatory beasts, both natural and spiritual, can come at a heavy cost to shepherds. Our Father has called men and women to be the shepherds of His people, as well. Sometimes we forget the spiritual danger in being this kind of shepherd, a good shepherd. But it is these shepherds experiences  with the delivering power of God that allows them success against the enemies to the flocks of God, and brings great benefit to us.
As our Father is our Shepherd, and the Shepherd of Israel, He also has this same heart for His people, His sheep. Not only does He supply all of our needs, and direct our way, but He fiercely protects us against the spiritual predators that seek to harm us. As Jesus said, He was willing to die to keep our lives.
Our Father is our Shepherd.

"The LORD is My Shepherd"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-qLa_2GPcM

"Shepherd Me, O God"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g_hROZbQV8