“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.’ ... ‘Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.’” (1 Samuel 17:32-33, 36) David. The youngest brother in the family. Spoiled? Maybe. Impetuous? Most likely. But he knew Who his God was and what He would do for him, so David stood as tall as he could before the giant and, with a small stone probably not as large as the palm of his hand, he brought down Goliath and cut off his head.

Saul, on the other hand, was doubtful that David could do anything. First, David had no war experience, whereas Goliath had been at it for years. Second, look at the size difference! But David knew Who he was fighting with and for. His dogged determination swayed Saul just enough to let him try, but first he wanted David outfitted in armor. When the youth found that it severely restrained his movements, David insisted he go without anything but the armor of God.

Aren’t we often like King Saul, tempering our decisions based on our experiences and what we have before us? It’s usually the case that we judge from the world’s point of view, probably because we witness from that vantage point. But the Lord sees not as we do. Sure enough, we don’t want to send out anyone who is unprepared to face difficulties, so we train our children to make good decisions. But there are times when we - and they - must trust our faith to see us through. David’s father Jesse had sent his son out with the flocks and herds, but not totally unprepared, it seems. David had seen how the world works, with prey and predator, and he had learned how to protect his father’s assets. It appears that boy was one tough cookie! But He also knew the source of his strength was not entirely his own.

We must understand that God’s voice calls even the most seemingly unlikely of individuals to complete His will, whether that is a young man of 15, a girl of only 10, or a widower of 93. Whoever God sends, trust in His will and His way. Have the kind of heart and complete faith of the young boy David.