That’s not My Armor!

 

1 Samuel 17:38-40 “Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.  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.  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.” (emphasis mine)

 

 

Who are you counting on to build your faith in God? A pastor, a friend, SkyAngel T.V.?  In Samuel 17 David had come to the Israeli camp to visit his brothers as they were facing the Philistines.  David had taken up the challenge of fighting Goliath, not by confidence in himself, but because of the confidence in the God he served. 

 

Saul had offered David his armor.David knew he couldn’t use Saul’s armor because God had given David his own purposes in life that God had specifically planned out for him.  David, during his time in the sheep fields got to know God in his own way, not Saul’s way. 

 

Saul’s way, on the surface, may have looked spiritually sound, but Saul had his own struggles:  compromising his intimacy with God.  Saul was dead on the inside.  As Matthew 25:8 says, the foolish virgins’ oil was low and their lamps were going out.  Had David counted on Saul’s love for God, he would have run out of oil so to speak and the situation may not have turned out the way it did.

 

David knew where he stood in his faith with God, because David took the time to be with God. Do you?  The only way to refuel your own oil lamps, like the wise virgins, is to spend time with God and learn how He intends to use you for His Holy purposes.  The only way to fight your Goliaths is to use the tools God gives you, not your friends’ tools, not your pastors’.

 

Once you walk with your own lamps full, that is when you can walk with the rest of the “Israelite” army of friends, pastors and others used by God to storm the enemy together, but you first must know your “what you are used to” and what tools God has given you to approach “the Philistines”.

 

 

Father, Heavenly King, teach us Your ways, Lord.  Guide us to the supply of Your Holy Oil so we can keep our lamps lit while we wait for our Bridegroom.  Move us to desire to plunge into Your Holy Word.  Holy Spirit, guide us in the ways to pray to our God and King in a way that will praise Him and worship Him.  Open up our ears to hear His instructions; His love murmurings to us.  Build Your army, God, with servants who know Your voice.  Make us desperate for You God, we pray this in the name of Your Beloved Son, Jesus, Amen.