In the midst of it all, God speaks. I love that about my life. No matter what is going on, God has things to tell me and teach me. This has been a season of studying David. There has been a sermon series about his life at church and my small group study has been based on his life also. David's life is fascinating and one that is so raw and real that we can identify with him in numerous ways.
This week at church, we focused on a couple of verses in 1st Samuel 17. It is the picture of Saul giving David his personal armor to fight Goliath. A sad picture, really, since Saul should have been the one to step up and take the challenge. Now there is a lot to say about that, but I have always been fascinated by the armor incident (as I like to call it!)
"Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, “I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this. And he took it all off."
David is a teenager at this point. He is young and most likely not full grown. Saul places his man-size armor on this boy and needless to say, it does not fit. It is heavy and bulky. David can't even move in it.
That got me thinking about how we, at times, try to take on something that is not ours. For example, we admire a particular talent, job or ministry and decide that is what we will do. We can also do this to others. That is really what happened here. Saul tried to take something that God had asked him to do and put it on someone else.
I love David's response. He took off the heavy armor of another and went back to the things that God had equipped him to use.
"Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath."
You see, David had been in training for this event all of his life. He had faithfully been tending sheep which involved protecting them from danger. David had been to the school of the brave and courageous and that is exactly what he needed in this moment.
What has the Lord asked you to do?
Are you doing it?
Are you using the gifts that He specifically gave to you?
Are you leaning on Him to give you everything that you need?
When the Lord calls you, He prepares you and equips you. All your experiences are preparing you for what is next.
I laugh at myself sometimes when I find myself in the midst of something and realize that it is exactly what the Lord has prepared me for! He is so faithful. He is always at work.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. Ephesians 2:10
So . . . suit up! Just be sure that you are using the armor that the Lord has given you and not someone else. Fulfill the ministry He has given you, not anothers and don't ask someone else to fulfill yours.
Trust Him to use you to
slay some giants.
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