“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, NIV)
I grabbed the umbrella. It was the closest thing to a golf club in the vicinity, and I needed to know how to go from theory to practice as Links Players president Jeffrey Cranford—who is a PGA professional—helped me (again) to figure out how to keep from hitting it left.
In truth, I’m not much of a club guy. I figure the troubles with my game have much more to do with my swing than with my equipment. I’m counting on that being a good way to approach the matter, because God doesn’t have a whole lot of interest in manmade devices either.
It was David who wrote in Psalm 20: “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.” David always took this path, from the time he was a very young man.
In 1 Samuel 17, we are treated to the entire account of David’s confrontation with Goliath. What we often forget is that before David tangled with any champion, he went head-to-head with a king.
Saul took one look at David, and although he admired the brashness of the young shepherd’s offer to confront Goliath, the king made David an offer: “Wear my armor.” But David was uncomfortable and said, “I cannot go in these, because I am not used to them.” David would go with what God had given him.
What God gives us—skills formed by experience and faith set for the task ahead—are all we need when we go about his business. That may seem too simple. You may contemplate what other good tools you might use to get the job done. You might think you need to read the right book first, go through a certificate program, or squeeze in a session with a mentor.
But someday you will find that there simply isn’t time; the job must be done now. What will you do then? What you have to go on is what God has given you. You’ll have to believe his preparation is sufficient. This is where David excelled, and why he was able to say what the soldiers could not: “The LORD will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine…the one who challenges the armies of God.”
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Jeff Hopper
June 5, 2013
Copyright 2013 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.