This morning I read a devotional on the story of David and Goliath. The story found in 1 Samuel 17:38–40, 45.
So before we begin I want to encourage you to go and read the whole story in scripture. Read it with a clear lens. Because one of the things we inevitably do is we read scripture in a familiar way, and miss so much.
This is what I saw clearly today: In the story Saul tried fitting David with his own armor and helmet-but that wasn't going to work for David. David had been trained by God differently. David had learned who he was in the wilderness, and what he knew immediately is that Sauls way of fighting was not his way. So David took off the armor Saul placed on him.
I cannot go in these, he said to Saul, because I'm 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 shepherds, bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. David said to the Philistine, you come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you, in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
Before you go any further in the story, I want you to pause and ask yourself. What am I wearing that someone else placed on me- that was never God's design.
Today I recognized that so often we as humans, allow others to put things on us that we were never meant to wear. We wear their values, opinions and expectations -good or bad -we wear them out of fear-fear of disappointment, fear of failure or fear of rejection.
What are you fearing today that isn't allowing you to live an authentic life? Do you know who you are or are you still trying to fulfill the expectations of others?
Fear of any kind causes us all to shrink back from living authentically.
I fear that the vast majority of us will go to the grave, never really knowing who we are, or what we could have done in this life because of fear.
And I think it's a necessary question to ask ourselves today, especially because I believe many of us are doing it unconsciously.
Like I said before, the fear of failure, or the fear of rejection leaves so many of us unaware of what we don't know, and I believe what we don't know can harm us.
I say we begin with asking The One who does know.
Let us pray- Lord God grant me courage like David, a courage to be my true self, and to recognize who I am as your beloved. I ask you now to deliver me from the fear of failure and rejection, and from every giant in front of me today; especially that giant in my head who speaks so negatively and loudly. And Lord teach me how to quiet my inner voice, so as to hear your voice more clearly. In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I encourage you to conclude this time with silence.
Comments