If the armor fits, wear it

"so David took them off"

1 Samuel 17:39

"You shall be careful to do

as the Lord your God has commanded you; 

you shall not turn aside 

to the right hand or to the left"

Deuteronomy 5:32

I love it when verses that are nowhere near each other, go together.  And these two do that. 

1 Samuel 17 tells the story of David and Goliath.  I'm sure you know the story of the shepherd boy defeating the giant, but do you know the details?  Do you know David had only five stones and a sling with which to defeat Goliath?   And do you know he only needed one of those stones to do the job?  And do you know that when David first announced that he would fight the giant, King Saul told him it would be impossible?  But after David said that the Lord would bring him victory, then Saul was behind him 100%:  "Go!  And the Lord be with you!" 

But most important (for the purposes of this post, at least) do you know that King Saul helpfully clothed David with his armor, and his bronze helmet, and his coat of mail, and his sword.  But when David tried to walk, he couldn't.  So he took them off. 

Fighting Goliath, wearing armor and a helmet that were too big for him, was not God had in mind for David.  He had to battle in the way God had for him to battle. 

I think that's one of the warnings for us, in that verse, "do not turn to the right or to the left."  We have a tendency to want to be one of the group; to look around and see what others are doing before we decide which way we want to go. 

We all have the same message from God in Scripture.  Some things are non-negotiable.  But as you walk the walk He has for you, don't worry about trying to do it the way someone else does.  No one else's armor is going to fit you. 

~ "I have called you by your name" ~

Isaiah 43:1