Encouragement
GOD Vs GOLIATH 4 – 1 Samuel 17:37b-39
“Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.”
Out of the entire army of trained men, there were no volunteers willing to take up Goliath’s challenge. Although Saul refused to accept David’s proposal at the outset, he finally realized that although David was a young boy, he was full of fire and determination. He saw something in his eyes and voice which was different, and convinced him. It was the holy boldness of the Holy Spirit! It was a strength which was beyond his tender years and shepherd boy life. It was the obedience to a divine calling, which no one could stop. Saul saw that David was not relying on himself but on God, who delivered him from the ferocity of the wild bear and the marauding lion. Saul had previously given David all the reasons why he could never fight Goliath, but he now gave David his blessing to go forth into the fight, saying “Go and the Lord be with you.”
There is a covering that comes from a leader’s blessing which is vital in all aspects of ministry and spiritual warfare. This is why lone rangers are prone to face more ‘fire’ on the front line than those who are a part of a team and working under the prayer cover and authority delegated by a ministry or leader. There is also less chance of victory in the battle when members of a team step out contrary to a leader’s mandate or vision. David needed Saul’s blessing to go on behalf of the army of Israel.
In fact, Saul was so supportive of David that he gave him his own armor and weaponry – a coat of mail, a bronze helmet, and a sword. He probably thought that although David was just a shepherd boy, he could make him fit the part with his own battle gear. But Saul was an unusually tall man (1 Samuel 10:23), and David was lost in his coat of armor and could not freely move in it. The bronze helmet probably fell over his eyes so that he could not see where he was going, and the sword was so heavy that he could not walk when it was strapped to his side, or wield it, and use it! David was not accustomed to wearing armor, and Saul’s armor immobilized him. If he had tried to ‘do his best’ and go ahead into the battle with Saul’s equipment, he would have never made it. But the boldness of God was upon him. He spoke up to the king and said “I cannot go in these”. He knew this was a bad fit; he took Saul’s armor off. If David had been ruled by a fear of those in authority, or by a desire to please people, he would have tried to fit into Saul’s armor and been destroyed, and also lost the battle his nation had been preparing for. But David had no illusions about who he was in Jehovah! He went back to the vision and instruction he had been given when God first compelled him to face up to Goliath and fight.
There are threads of Truth we can take from David, as we walk with and serve the Lord.
1)Sometimes we try to walk according to the gifts and anointing of others we recognize and admire, and this can become a hindrance. We can lose the vision God has given us, and lose our own protection because we are trying to wear the battle clothes which Heaven gave to someone else! Instead of flowing in the revelation we have been given we pick up the sword which belongs to another servant of God, and wonder why we cannot find the power there should be in using the Sword of the Spirit. There is custom made armory and weaponry, which God has already released to us, which we can use for victory in our own calling and battle field! There are specific levels and kinds of anointing which God has for His children, who seek Him and long to flow in the power of His Spirit.
2)Saul tried to make David fit the bill. There are always people who will try to make us conform to their own view of what we should be as disciples or servants of the King of kings. Religion is only content when everyone and everything fits into an appropriate box. Jesus faced this with the Pharisees and Sadducees, and those chosen by the Lord continue to face this battle in every nation around the world. Every specific group or denomination of disciples may expect newcomers to quickly adapt to suit their environment, even in their forms of worship and their reactions to the presence of God. However, our creative and imaginative God is not looking for clones! He made us all distinct and different, with unique skills and giftings. He has a different calling and anointing for each of His kids, although He intends that we all flow together in unity to establish Kingdom power on earth.
3)Reliance on formulas and methods hinders God’s Holy Spirit. David quickly saw that Saul’s armor and weapons would not work for him; they did not fit, and they had not been made for him. This is the wisdom of God! While “how to do it” books, instructional videos etc can be very useful in a general sense, they can also be a big drawback to our hearing the voice of the Spirit in our own hearts, and a hindrance to what God wants to teach us. There is so much that Heaven wants to download into your heart and mine, which is specific to our own revelation, level of spiritual maturity, and calling in life. However, unless we tune in and seek the Lord for ourselves, we will never really know much more than what we have been taught by others. Of course these methods will still work because they are anointed and revealed by God, but there is much more that we can see happen through our lives when we open our spirits to what God wants to say.
4)David’s reliance was on the mighty arm of God. He knew that the Lord who delivered him from the ferocity of the ravenous lion and bear would deliver him (and Israel) from the might of Goliath. He knew he could not place his trust in the sword or the armor that were given to him, even if they belonged to the king! Never allow someone else’s lack of faith to dictate your decisions for God. There are many people who would say (like Saul) “Go and the Lord be with you” but they also say “and take this with you”. If you seek victory in the battle, rely on the Lord! Zechariah 4:6 says “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty”.
5)Discover who you are in Jesus and enjoy it! There are many people we can admire and respect and aspire to learn something from; but know that you are uniquely and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). God has irrevocable gifts and a calling which is specifically for you. In Papa, we are beloved and precious, and there is no one else we need to be like to have Him love us more! There is nothing we need to do to earn His love. He belongs to you and you belong to Him! Start to enjoy being the very precious and beautiful child of the King you are!
Friend, may God bless you and prosper you in your own calling and gifts. Be like David; take off the armor that is not yours, trust in God, and step out in faith – God loves you and has something very special for you. You are a mighty warrior in His army!
Minoli Haththotuwa, 01 November 2010
www.wingslikeeagles.info
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Excellent reminder to not compare ourselves to other children of God but to walk in the path He has given us with the gifts He has blessed us with.
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