'No Look a likes'

S – 1 Samuel 17: 39

 

‘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.’

 

O- David was acting upon his conviction that he was to engage Goliath in battle. It was both a surprise and unexpected that he would be their representative and as such they were not sure how to prepare him for the battle with Goliath. Their first response was to dress him in armour to look like any other soldier. David’s conviction though was, ‘I cannot go in these.’ This conviction no doubt saved his life and ensured the supernatural victory for the Israelites. His response to Saul that ‘I am not used to them’ reflected that he knew he couldn’t fight the greatest challenge of his life looking or dressed like someone else. His response that ‘I cannot go in these’ was more than a wardrobe or an armament issue. He knew he had to be himself, use the equipment that was in his hand and had held him in good stead in his upbringing and life circumstances. This was such wise discernment knowing that the Lord wanted him to fight Goliath as himself and not trying to look like or imitate someone else.

 

A – A great challenge to be confident in who I am. Not trying to look or sound like someone else. I need to have the same conviction as David; when I am chosen or challenged to step up in any area of my life then I need to have the same confidence. David’s response was a rejection of a man’s or popular method, in contrast to what the Lord requires and equips us in. It was David’s simple but strategic methods that the Lord chose and used to defeat Goliath. It teaches me to be confident in who I am; the skills developed along the journey and to never doubt there effectiveness in God’s hand.

 

P – Lord help me not to be an imitator but an implementer of the things you have equipped me with. Thank you for the Life skills and circumstances that have been deposited along the journey. May David’s response be mine; ‘I cannot go in these’