“Just the Right Fit” – 1 Samuel 17:31-37

1 Samuel 17:31-37

“When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

A few days ago, my four-year-old, Boone, and I were kicking a ball around in the backyard. I accidentally kicked the ball past him, and it went under our deck. So, we ran over to see how far it went under and how we were going to get it back. I leaned down and reached under the deck for the ball, but it was just out of reach. I told Boone I would have to get a long stick to reach it because I could not fit. Without hesitation, he told me he could get it and before I could turn around, he was already crawling under the deck and crawling back out with the ball. He knew he could fit under the deck and he was confident he could get the ball back. He was the right shape and size for the job, and I was not.

In today’s scripture, we find David convincing Saul to let him go fight Goliath. I can only imagine what Saul was thinking. He was about to send David, a young man, who had never been in battle, to fight against a great warrior who was over 9 feet tall. And this was not just a battle to see who the better warrior was, it had the freedom of the Israelites and Philistines riding on it.

Have you ever been putting a puzzle together, and looked forever for a certain piece only to find out the piece was completely different than you had imagined? David was a piece of this puzzle that nobody thought would fit. When David saw the situation and heard Goliath taunting the Israelites, he knew he was the right “shape” for this piece of God’s story. All the training he had done against wild animals had brought him to this moment, and he was confident in the Lord’s power and faithfulness. He was confident that he was going to win.

I challenge you today to ask the Lord to reveal to you how you can use your shape to bring glory to his kingdom. Everyone’s shape is going to be a little different. But if we all recognize our shape, and work together for Christ, we can bring His kingdom here to earth and to those around us who desperately need Jesus.

While using the HEAR method as you spend time with today’s passage, consider this: 

  • How might God use your SHAPE (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences) for His purposes? 
  • Is there somewhere at church, in the community, or around the world where you can POUR OUT for Christ? 
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you? 
Explain – what does the passage mean? 
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today? 
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?

Brice Alumbaugh

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