The Boy King: If the Armor Fits (Devotion 4 of 5)

 We may have read the account of David and Goliath so many times in our lives that the situational comedy is lost on us.  Well, it would be funny if it werent true!  All these battle hardened men, including the king, are sitting around too fearful to fight this evil giant of a man, and when one teenager is brave enough, the king says, ok, cool, here is my armor, good luck, kid.  The insanity of the situation should give us a shock, but if you have lived long enough, you have seen things in this world that completely stump logic, so nothing is hard to believe!  When people forget God, they also forget logic, or should I say, wisdom?

"And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the Lord be with you.” 38) Then Saul clothed David with his garments and put a bronze helmet on his head, and he clothed him with armor. 39) David girded his sword over his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. So David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David took them off. 40) He took his stick in his hand and chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the shepherd’s bag which he had, even in his pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he approached the Philistine."

 As the King and all his men tossed faith in God and wisdom out the window, young David came in, told them God had delivered him in the past from a bear and lion and this giant will fall too, when you come at him in the name of the Lord!  King Saul kindly offered up his armor and weapons, because that’s what he had always used, it's the least he could do for little David.  It is obvious how far Saul had fallen when he seemed to show no shame or embarrassment in letting this young man wear his armor to fight his battle.  He had become a cowardice politician; he liked the position, but when the real crisis hit, was terrified of what to do and the high cost of bravery. 

 David, probably out of respect, tried on the armor, and as you would imagine, it was bulky, didn't fit, and was going to impede his mission.  David knew God would use him to kill this evil man, and he was going to trust God's way, even if it didn't make sense to the watching world.

Can you imagine being on the sidelines and watiching as David tried on the armor, you may have thought, well this may give him a fighting chance.  Then David takes it off, says thanks but not thanks, and goes to gather rocks?!  You would have been certain David was heading for destruction.

The first HUGE lesson we can take away from this short scene is the following:

What God tells you to do, doesn’t always line up with how the world thinks you should do it!  The world has a lot of preconceived ideas about how things should go in life.  You must follow steps A, B, and C to be successful.  You must listen to all the experts and do exactly as they say, and while there is wisdom in much counsel, be careful where you receive your counsel.  Even the most well meaning christian friends may tell you that you are wrong on something, but if you have earnestly prayed and felt God move you in a different direction, you need to follow that leading, no matter how against the grain of earlthy logic it may feel at the time.  

Secondly, David had faith when no one else did.  When you are praying and God gives clear direction, trust God.  I have been amazed at the christian people I have seen over the years who talked down about people who were truly trusting God for their next steps.  You are not going to answer to others, but to God and on the flip side of that, don't judge what huge faith steps someone else may be taking in life.  You don't know all the lions and bears God has already delivered them from, pray He grows your faith instead of judging theirs.

Finally, Always ask for wisdom! 

Years after this event,  David’s son, Solomon, would write Proverbs and in it, a lot about wisdom.  Proverbs 1:7 states: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

This verse is a good word picture of the contrast between David and Goliath.  David, feared God and not the heathen who was cursing God.  The fool who was despising wisdom and instruction.  David knew that he need not fear any man, no matter how large, but to ask God for wisdom and obey what he knew God had told him to do.  Many times, we can be fearful of The future and our decisions, but ask God for wisdom and as James 1:5 promises, God will give wisdom generously to all who ask for wisdom.  I remember when I was a kid and realized this as an amazing promise!  If you are going to get wisdom from God, that is one of the most amazing gifts you can receive.  God and His wisdom help us to see throug situations, help us to trust in what sometimes doesn’t make sense and it gives us boldness as we trust and obey.  

I pray God gives you wisdom and Holy Spirit direction as you face giant situations and decisions in these turbulent days.

-Melissa Pyle