Preparation Pays

            Forty days in the Valley of Elah Israel trembled at the taunting of Goliath of Gath. The man was a giant. He was trained as a warrior from his youth and confident in his strength; his size; and his skill.
“And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, why are ye come out to set your battle in array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.”

The champion who walked out of Israel’s camp didn’t look like a warrior. He was little more than a boy. He had no armor; no sword and no military training. He was armed with only a shepherd's sling. On his way to meet Goliath in battle, David stopped to gather five smooth stones from the brook that ran through the valley.

As a trained warrior Goliath knew the deadly power of a sling. He also knew that in practiced hands a stone could be hurled with pinpoint accuracy. Supremely confident in his armor and his size Goliath threw aside caution and knowledge. He advanced on David. The first stone pierced Goliath’s helmet and shattered the bone beneath. The giant stumbled and fell. Both armies watched in shocked disbelief as David beheaded Goliath with the Philistine’s own sword. David’s trust in God and a handful of stones put the enemy army to flight.

There’s more to the story than a victory for the underdog. There’s a lesson here about the sufficiency of God and the weapons God has placed at our disposal. In preparation for the battle David refused Saul’s armor. He didn’t refuse because it was poor quality armor. David refused because it was not his personal armor. David understood that his life, thus far, was under God’s control and that it was a life of preparation. God doesn’t lead His people in aimless circles. He is constantly preparing us for what’s over the next hill. He is still preparing each and every one of His children for the battles and the giants that come our way. David was prepared for battle. He had used his sling against long odds before. Goliath threw away his preparation—David used his. That was the difference between victory and defeat.

The word of God applied effectively to a Christian’s life is his greatest weapon against fleshly and spiritual enemies. Reading the Bible will not make you a Christian nor will it result in victorious living. The ability to quote scripture is a wonderful gift, but without an experimental knowledge of the scripture being quoted it is nothing more than beating against the air. Victory comes when a Christian has been prepared by God’s word and then acts upon it. That is, when the Spirit brings to life God’s word as it applies to everyday thoughts and actions; we hear it; agree with the word; and act accordingly. As the old saying goes, “experience is the best teacher.” A certain knowledge that the word of God will work in your life is worth more than any weapon.

Whether it’s made of hardened metal or pseudo-intellectual egotism man’s strongest armor is no match for the word of God. “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” God weighs and tests the sincerity of a Christian’s commitment to the scripture even to the intentions of the individual heart. When allowed to, He refines, hardens and hones that commitment to a fine edge worthy of use in the battles of life. Every Christian is armed and armored by God. Victory lies in trusting the efficiency of God and the weapons He has given us.

With God on his side David needed only one stone to defeat Goliath. Have you ever stopped to speculate why he picked up five? I believe it was because David knew might never pass that brook again and so he used the one opportunity given him to gather all the resources he could hold. Before going into battle it’s good to know where you stand and the resources at your disposal. Christians are to gather all of the word of God they can carry. One verse may be enough to defeat our giants, but isn’t it comforting to be holding a handful?