It says: Saul was a head & shoulders taller than anyone else in the land; so David must’ve been a pretty big dude, for them to think that they could even possibly fit him into the armor.
This issue wasn’t that it didn’t fit; the issue was that it wasn’t his tools. David was anointed to be king, but it wasn’t his time, his calling was still a shepherd.
So he goes down and gets five smooth stones, and this is what it says: and he put it in his shepherd’s bag. So when he goes to face Goliath, what does he look like? A shepherd – he’s got a staff, he’s got his shepherds bag, which had the sling, and the five rocks.
If you go back to read the story, this is what it says: “and Goliath was enraged, and he said am: I a dog, that you are coming at me with a stick (which is a staff)?”
Goliath chose to dishonor what David’s calling was. Goliath chose to dishonor and disrespect what David’s calling was - and ultimately it was his downfall.
David chose to stay within his calling, and it ultimately ended up resulting in victory for David, and the entire situation, and ultimately the nation of Israel.
Listen, one of the most destructive things you can do financially, is live in such a way where you always wish you were somebody else. If only I had this gift, if only I had opportunity, if only I had this education, if only…
Hold on, we’ve got to come back to a point of belief here. Do you really believe that God has already put in you everything you need for life and success and winning in abundance?
One of the Ten Commandments says: “don’t covet anything that is your neighbors” - anything that is your neighbors!
There are people in this room that would never get up in front of people and talk, because they’d be too scared; but those same people are the ones who can run business, and without them, I can’t even operate.
What I see is: a bunch of people with callings, and gifts, and talents, and personalities that I need to choose to honor; and it would be futile for me to live my life wanting to be like you; and it’s futile for you to live your life wanting to be me.
One of the keys to financial success is: honoring what God called you to be; by seeking it out, discovering it, being introspective, going through a process where you guess just what your talents and personalities are; and then finding something in the centre of that to make your living.
So #1, work hard! #2, be wise: get out of debt; save money; don’t put money in things that are going down in value; don’t trust the government to do it for you. #3, honor.
#4, Knowing God! Matthew 22:37-40, someone has asked him: what we need to do to inherit eternal life? There’s this discussion about how to read it; and then finally there’s this question:
“What’s the greatest command”? Can you summarize your holy yoke in one sentence?
Jesus says: “Love the lord your god with all your soul mind and strength – this is the first and greatest commandment, and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. All the Torah and the prophets hang on these commands”.
In other words, either: memorize the entire Old Testament; or, just do those two things.
Here’s the issue: for us, we tend to think of ‘loving God’ and ‘loving people’ as two things. What’s your goal in life? I want to love God, and love people.
Actually, in the literary formation of the senate, as well as just in their thought, ‘loving god’ and ‘loving people’ is exactly the same thing.
To them: loving people is loving God; and loving God is loving people. That it is impossible to say: you love God, if you don’t love other people.
It is also impossible to hate other people (or have animosity between yourself and other people), and then say you love God.
It is also impossible to be a generous, loving person towards other people; and not somehow learn the love of God in the process.
That loving God IS loving people; and loving people IS loving God; to them, you can’t separate the two.