There is nothing more attractive than a young, inexperienced, pure-hearted leader's undestroyed courage. A young David-soul that is fully convinced in a naive way that what he has succeeded with as a shepherd will work just as well on the battlefield. He says to King Saul when he is ready to take on giant Goliath:
Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God.
1 Sam 17:36
The middle-aged, scarred warriors surrounding the king smiled and had to look the other way to not laugh out loud. David's pure and frank belief in victory reminded them of something that they had owned once, but had almost lost, and he won their hearts. Contempt was slowly exchanged for admiration. Fear gave way for for a new willingness to fight. Who wants to follow cynical bitterness and waving compromising? No-one. The warriors where once again reminded why they had enlisted in the first place. Now they wanted to fight til death for their God, people and nation again.
You see, everyone wanted to follow the “spirit” that was on the shepherd boy David this particular very special day; the day when Israel received a new king. Maybe not officially, but unofficially Saul’s era was over when the stone left David’s sling and the giant fell with a huge bam in the dust. God’s anointing on David spread like a rumor over the entire nation in just a few hours. David! David! David! A new leader was born and with him, new hope, belief in victory and a new time for the entire people.
David wasn't just inexperienced, pure-hearted and brave, but also without compromise in who he was. “I am who I am, and that’s that” was his simple posture. Not in a bad way, but honestly just; “I am not gonna be someone I’m not.” After David tries on Saul’s clothes, helmet, armour and sword, he says:
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.”
1 Sam 17:29b
So David went out into the battlefield and met the giant with a staff in one hand, stones in a shepherd’s bag carelessly thrown up on his shoulder, and a sling in the other hand. He was himself and made no attempt to be anyone else. And he won the battle. David did not compromise with the assurance in his heart, and he was secure in his identity. A simple, down-to-earth guy, woven in one piece.
This year SOS is seeking God for the next generation! Pray with us!
See ya!
