The Blessing of OrdinarySample

Saul’s Armor

Saul hears David’s reasons for why he thinks he can slay Goliath, and the king says: “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

But then he recognizes David’s appearance, and Saul develops an instant case of buyer’s remorse, “Kid, I know you killed some wild animals, but you can’t go out there looking like that. You at least have to look the part.”

Saul dresses David up in his own tunic and armor. The king’s wardrobe and armory would be the best available in their entire nation. Imagine trading in your 2003 Honda for the King’s Rolls Royce or a fickle old push mower for a zero-turn, four-foot-wide riding one.

David walks around in his glorious new outfit…and rejects it.
“I’m not used to these.”

There was nothing wrong with Saul’s armor; the king could’ve learned to trust God in it. But the living fabric of David’s relationship with the Lord was woven with the staff and sling, not golden tunics. David knew victory didn’t depend on weapons and armor, but on trusting the proven character of God. 

There are tragic ironies in much of our thinking about the David & Goliath story. While we preach on the underdog, we determine our vision and direction using “Goliath” measurements and values. Bigger spears! Larger shields! 

Because of that, too often we chase after the best “armor” out there and miss where we could truly know God in the present moment with what we’ve already been given. I believe the Kingdom of God would be much more attractive to a lost and addicted world if we learned to celebrate the simplicity of the staff in our own hands, rather than scrambling for Saul’s Armor in a culture that already oozes envy, greed, and lustful discontentment.

I’m not advocating the removal of any kind of ambition; I’m arguing that our preeminent ambition in any endeavor prompted by our faith should be to know and serve God in the action, no matter how simple or common. Serve God with your staff and sling, your cheese and bread, and if God ever has need for your particular set of Giant Removal skills, you’ll be ready. But if He doesn’t, you still have the joy of finding Jesus in the everyday.

God isn’t asking you to kill Goliath or to be David…or Beth Moore or Jim Elliot… God is asking you to be the first YOU.