what's in your hand? a lesson from a little boy

'Then he [David] took his staff in his hand

and chose five smooth

stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch.

His sling was in his hand,

and he approached the Philistine [Goliath].'

1 Samuel 17:40

I love this story. 

I grew up hearing this story and seeing little paper Davids move across flannel boards with sling in hand.

It always made me cheer.

A couple of years ago, while preparing a Sunday school lesson on the ordinary things that God used to do extraordinary things, this single verse in this well known story stopped me dead in my tracks. 

Ok...so let me recap. 

David is just a kid and is busy tending his father's sheep...a not so glamorous job.

He had brothers who were out fighting a battle against the Philistines....well, kind of. 

David's father, Jesse, asked David to bring them lunch and David obeyed. 

Upon arriving, he did not find a battle in motion, rather he found a bunch of trained soldiers hiding of which his brothers and the king were included. 

Upon further examination, David learned the Philistine army had a golden ticket--a man that stood more than 9 feet tall who was clad in hundreds of pounds of armor with a shield bearer (one can only imagine how big he must've been) going before him. For forty days he came out and taunted Israel challenging them to come and try to defeat him. The Israelite's response? Run and hide. 

Enter David. 

Little boy with a strap of leather, a shepherd's staff and a little faith in a great big God. 

As I read this verse about David preparing to go into battle, I had never noticed it before. 

Think about it--all the pictures we see, all the little flannel graph Davids--not a single one is carrying a shepherd's staff. 

Why in the world does David carry a staff with him? 

Was it like Plan B? If the stones and sling don't work, stab him with the staff? 

As I was reading, I couldn't move beyond this puzzling verse. 

Now I am no theologian. I have no Divinity degree or great knowledge of the original Hebrew texts or even the Bible itself. I just ask God to speak truth to my heart, and in His faithfulness, He responds. 

As I prayed through this verse, God took me back to another great hero of the faith who had gone before David: Moses. 

Just as we have heard stories of history's greats such as Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman, undoubtedly had David heard stories of Moses and the amazing things God did through him. 

Start your journey in Exodus 4. God is preparing to deliver His people from the hand of a tyrant and chooses Moses to lead them out. 

He approaches Moses and reveals His plan. 

Moses declines. 

God presses him further.

"What is that in your hand?" He asks Moses.

"A staff..." is Moses' response. 

God commands him to throw it to the ground, he does and it becomes a snake and he runs from it. 

God commands him to reach down and pick it up. He does and it becomes a staff again.

Fast forward to the Red Sea. 

The Israelites have left Egypt and are running from the Egyptian tyrant that has changed his mind about releasing his valuable slaves. 

They have an ocean in front of them and an army closing in behind. 

Moses raises his staff and stretches his hand over the sea and God divides the water. 

Incredible. 

Fast forward again to a bunch of whiny, unfaithful and unbelieving Israelites that are still in the desert. 

They are complaining about water. 

God had given Moses instructions that he failed to follow. 

In his haste and disobedience, Moses strikes the rock with his staff and water pours forth. 

God's blessing even in the midst of disobedience. 

These are just three examples of a mighty God working through a flawed man and his shepherd's staff. 

How does this correlate with our story about David?

Well, as God was walking me through Scripture, I undoubtedly believe they are connected. 

You see, without a doubt David was a bit afraid. 

I am certain that everything in him told him to run and hide, just like the rest of them. 

But undoubtedly, He believed that just as God did great things through an old man in the desert, God would again do great things through a little boy on a battle field. 

Why then did he take his staff? For many it is an insignificant detail that gets passed by--hence the reason we see it not in all the pictures and little flannel graph David's. 

But...I believe that there is not a single insignificant word in all of Scripture which is why this verse bothered me so. Why would he bring it along and why does the writer make sure to include it? 

Again, I am no theologian, but I believe he did it was a tangible reminder of God's faithfulness and protection. 

As David suited up and carefully selected his stones, 

his humanity was certainly telling him to turn back. 

His God was telling him to go forth. 

Without a doubt, David was recounting the stories of God's unprecedented favor and provision of another great man that had gone before David. 

I believe that David made sure to carry that staff out to battle with him as a physical reminder of what God does through unlikely people that are willing to step forth in faith and obey His calling rather than turn back in fear. 

I believe that we have a lot to learn from this.

Often, we forget that which ought to remember,

and remember that which we ought to forget. 

As we face unbelievable hurts and challenges, 

I think it is important to look back at our lives and the lives of those that have gone before us, and see the evidences of God's faithfulness. 

So many times I find myself questioning, doubting and complaining before God, wondering why He is leading me down the harder road. 

How quickly I forget His faithfulness through all things in the past.

Why would He forsake me now?

In His quiet way, I can hear the Spirit ask, 

"Tiffany, what's in your hand? How have you seen my faithfulness in the past? 

Take those evidences with you. 

Wear them like a garment,

hold onto them like a staff,

lest you forget how I have been faithful in the past 

and will thus be faithful in the future. 

I AM faithful. " 

Blessings to you dear friends as you journey through yet another week.

May you see and remember evidences of God's faithfulness and unmerited favor this week.

Carry them with you as David carried his staff. 

May they remind you of His provision and help spur you on to continue to follow in spite of the giant that is challenging you or the humanity that is telling you to turn and run. 

<><tce