Whose Armor Do You Have On?

I love the story of David and Goliath.  I have heard it all of my life, studied it many times, and have heard many sermons on it.  I can always find some new nugget in it!  Isn't that awesome!  I'm sure you do the same thing!  Why is this possible?  It is because the Bible is God's Living Word!!  It is alive, therefore there is always something new in it, and always just when you need it!!  Just had to take out time for a commercial and thank God for His Word, His Living Word!!!

Now back to David, over in I Samuel Chapter 17, I took notice of verses 38 and 39. "And Saul armed (clothed) David with his (Saul's) armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.  And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he assayed to go (tried to walk); for he had not proved (tested) it.  And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them.  And David put them off of him."

That really spoke to me.  How often do we try to walk someone else's walk?  Am I alone here??  I will give you an example from my life.  I was blessed to be born in a Godly heritage.  My parents were awesome Christians.  I never had to ask if we were going to church.....it was a given!  I never had to wonder if our home was built on Christian values.......that was obvious!!  I was saved at the young age of 7.  The enemy has fought with me for many years, telling me that I didn't really get saved then.  I finally won the victory over that, Praise the Lord!!!  That story will have to be another blog!  Anyway, I basically lived my life underneath my parents 'Christianity wings'.  I never really worked hard at a relationship with God personally, because it was so soaked into my home life, through my parents. 

Eventually, I grew up, married, and was on my own.  In some ways, I was still underneath their 'wings', because we went to the same church and were always close.  One day, my Goliath arrived in my life, and it was time to stand up to him!  But wait, how could I do it??  I never really had before, I was underneath my parent's Christianity, so things just seemed to slide off of me. My personal Christianity had not been proven.  That is no fault of my parents, and certainly not God's, that is all on me!

Thank God, I finally took a step out on my own with God's guidance and found my own armor for the battle!  And by doing so, I have truly had a relationship with Christ!  My soul has grown in strength!  What a day of freedom!  The realization that salvation is a personal step!

Now in verse 40 David continues, "And he took HIS staff in HIS hand, and chose HIM 5 smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which HE HAD even in a scrip; and HIS sling was in HIS hand; and HE drew near to the Philistine.'  What courage, what boldness, what faith!!!  And we can all have these very same things if we shrug off whatever armor that is weighing us down and pick up our own armor and stand for Christ!!  Are you just going with the flow, living under your parent's, your wife's, your husband's relationship with God? Maybe it is a close friend that you are leaning on to keep you close to God.  Maybe it is the fact that you are faithful to go to church, thinking that your weekly 'visit' to God's house is keeping you 'safe'.

It's time to stand up and say, I am taking these wonderful things, the Godly heritage, the Christian friendships, my church, and I am putting these "stones" in my shepherd's bag, and I am going to start truly serving God, for myself!  Watch your Goliaths fall, my friend!  Now, it is not because of anything you 'do', it is because you stepped out on faith and God has met you through His grace!

I'm so thankful that I chose to step out and try my own salvation, so glad I have tasted the sweetness of His goodness. It was good, when I was living underneath someone's else's, but oh my, it is absolutely awesome now!  I can tell you all day how awesome my mom's homemade chocolate pie is, I can describe it in detail, every ingredient, how it looks, how it tastes, the crust, the smooth chocolate filling, the meringue.......and your mouth may water...........but, until you actually taste it for yourself, you will never truly know, and your hunger for it will never be satisfied!

Don't wait any longer, friend!  Drop whatever the armor is that is weighing you down, and see for yourself just what it is to truly serve God in the armor God has given you!!