Week 3 | day seventeen
You Can't Do That!
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. 1 Samuel 17: 32
When I finished my Master’s degree, I interviewed and got offered a research job. I thought I was qualified for the job, but honestly, I am not sure why I was hired. I was definitely not qualified with only a Master’s degree. It was frustrating, humiliating, and very discouraging. There was one instance when I approached my boss about a research idea that I had given him and went to go ask about it. I stepped into his office, courageously nervous, because I had presented some research at a symposium that week where I was pretty much “eaten alive” by other researchers, including my boss. Not a fun experience. So going into his office took a lot of courage. When I asked him about the idea, he looked for the document on his desk and then reached into his trash can, pulled it out and handed it to me. I thanked him and left, disheartened, angry, upset, and defeated.
“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.” Saul questioned David’s ability, specifically because he was young and surely his youthfulness and inexperience at war would not allow him to succeed. Yet David stood firm in his belief, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine (1 Samuel 17:37). Our ability will be questioned, and we will face opposition, sometimes intentional, other times not. Our ability to stand when questioned is not only in our experience or age or knowledge or family line, but rather our ability to stand against the giants we face is also our belief that God will deliver us and has delivered us. We stand in a position of victory and authority being clothed with righteousness in Christ, heirs of his Kingdom.
The reality is that I was not qualified for the job. However, that job taught me some valuable life lessons. It taught me that my identity needs to be established in the One who designed me and knows exactly what I need for what lies ahead. Like David, who learned to protect his sheep, can we look at our current situations as opportunities that God is teaching us more about who we are and more importantly, who He is for us and in us?! It is His presence in us that grants us the strength to continue forward into the battles we face. There is a song by Kim Walker-Smith called, The King is here. The opening lines…
The King is here, the King is here
You’re alive inside of me
The King is here, the King is here
Love will never ever leave
The King is here, He is in you (Acts 2:38). He is alive inside of you and His love will never ever leave (Deut 31:6, Matt 28:20, Isaiah 41:10-13).
Today's Prayer: Father we thank You for giving us the opportunity to stand against the battles that I face. Thank for You for allowing me to experience situations that give me opportunities to lean on You more. Thank You for the strength and the courage You give me to walk into battles knowing I am a son/daughter of the King and that all authority has been given to me. In Jesus’ name.
Today's Challenge: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you where you are leaning on your own understanding and then ask Him for his wisdom and direction to trust in Him.