“Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.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. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” 1 Samuel 17.38-40
The story of David as he prepares to face Goliath just gets better and better. Once David expressed interest to fight the giant, King Saul begins to deck him out in all the finest adornments of a warrior. He gives him his very shirt, puts his coat of armor on him, and a bronze helmet on his head. He even gave David his sword in which he put over his tunic (shirt). (One part of me wonders if Saul in his self-centeredness wanted the soldiers to believe it was him going out to battle and not David.)
But David said, “I cannot go in these because I am not use to them.” So he took them off and taking his staff in his hands, “chose five smooth stones from the stream” in the Valley of Elah.
Now I have had the honor of being in Israel, in the Valley of Elah and I too gathered five smooth stones from the river bed. And believe me, these stones were just as plain and just as common as any other stones you might find in any other Texas Hill Country dry river bed. They weren’t special nor were they spectacular. David put the stones in his “shepherd’s bag and with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” Talk about faith!
Going into battle against a warrior with the size and skill of Goliath would require such faith. He was trusting in God rather than all the trappings of war. His hope was in God to deliver him and not a sword, shield or the armor of the king.
Where do we place our hope? Where do we place our faith? Are we like David who trusted God completely with the future? Do we walk ahead bravely, regardless of the giants before us? We are people who focus our eyes and attention on Jesus and not the naysayers along our path? Let’s be like David today and have faith in Jesus. He is our shield and our protector, our help in times of trouble.
“O Lord God you are good. When my faith fails, you remained steadfast. When I can’t order my brain because of too much chaos, you are my shied and my defender. I thank you Lord for loving me. Thank you for allowing me to shelter under your grace. I want faith like David who faced his giants with courage. Come now, fill me with your Holy Spirit, send your power upon my whole being that I might be fully yours for you are mine. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen