Date: 04-14-2020

Title: Use Your Tools

(S) cripture:
    1 Samuel 17:32-40 (NASB77) And David said to Saul, ” Let no man’s heart fail on account of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 Then Saul said to David, ” You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are but a youth while he has been a warrior from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant was tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 “Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, ” The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 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 And 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 And 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.

(O) bservation:
    The story of David and Goliath is familiar to most people. Here David has told Saul that he will fight Goliath. Saul is skeptical because of David’s age but David insists and explains how he has defended his father’s sheep from lions and bears. David also knows that Goliath is not defying them but rather the God of Israel. Saul agrees to send David to fight but then puts his armor on David. David takes a couple of steps and then says he cannot use Saul’s armor but gathers his staff and five stones (tools he is familiar with) and goes to meet Goliath.

(A) pplication:
    The Lord has given me certain gifts (tools) that I am to use when facing giants in my life. I cannot use the tools of others because they will probably lead to my defeat. I must use the tools God has given me. I must also be honing my skills for using my tools. I imagine David took target practice with his sling and stones every day. Probably set up clay pots for target practice. When David faced Goliath he was confident in His God and says so and he was also confident in using his sling.

(P) rayer:
    Lord, make me aware of the tools and gifts you have given me and let me use them to your glory. Remind me when I am trying to use someone else’s tools or jealous of other’s tools. Let me be content and confident in you and the tools you have given me to face whatever is in front of me and to do so for your glory and in your name. Amen