Be Yourself

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.

1 Samuel 17:38-40

We must remember that we can not be anyone else but who God has called us to be.

When we try to be someone we are not we are short changing ourselves because we are limiting our capabilities and decreasing our possibilities.

The Glory of God

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

1 Samuel 17:34-37

When faced with opposition and a seemingly impossible victory, pause for a moment and think back to the times that Jesus saved you before. When David was told that he was not old enough to defeat the giant, he recalled previous battles in which Lord kept him. This gave him the assurance that God would again bring him out victoriously. 

For every new battle that presents itself, we can confidently claim victory before it even begins. How is this possible? Because God would never allow us to enter a battle that He did not trust and know we could conquer. For every victory we win in Jesus' name, we are elevated and our minds are transformed. It is then that we begin to concern ourselves no longer with the problem at hand. Instead, we focus on the ONE who has already declared us victorious in Jesus' name. As we transform our minds. we begin to think and see more and more as our Father thinks and sees.

2 Corinthians 2:18 tells us, 

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Glory is defined as admiration, adoration, beauty, splendor, magnificence, honor, and majesty. And each time God brings us through a struggle, He reveals more of His glory to us. When I am faced with an "impossibility", I think back to a time when my faith was tested in the past, and I remember how God showed up and the Glory of God was revealed. In fact, the very first time I really understood God's love for me was when He revealed His glory to me. The majesty of who He Is was so captivating, overwhelming, and powerful at that moment that I was unable to articulate the fullness of the experience. Suddenly, my issues didn't seem as large and strong as they once did. I just knew that Jesus must certainly love me to allow me to feel what I felt and see Him the way I did. I ponder that moment and keep it as a testament of victory any time that I am faced with difficulty. Thanks be to God! It always puts into perspective just how small my situation, problem, or giant is to JESUS.

Obedience

One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”

1 Samuel 17:11-13

David was obedient to what his father told him to do, which lead him to a victory that began his journey to King. What if we were obedient to our Father, Jesus when he tells us to move, go, or stand still? What if we didn't allow our own frustrations and selfish agendas to keep us from being obedient? I know that sometimes when God gives us instruction we may not understand it's purpose, but that's when we must rely on our faith in God and strength in the Lord to be obedient. Your faith will give you peace and your strength in the Lord will give you endurance to finish the journey. Romans 8:28 says"for all things work together for the good of them who love God and are called according to His purpose." We must remember, we have no control over our lives, so why not put your trust in the ONE who has control over everything and has already promised us, through His Word that all things will work for our good. So no matter what lets choose to relentlessly be obedient to our Father.