Inspired by | 1 Samuel 17 | and the song | a Sling and Stone |
The diary of King Saul, 1025 BC
The boy stood before me, small and unassuming, his tunic patched and frayed, his hands rough from tending sheep. I had summoned him reluctantly, unable to believe that this was the one offering to face Goliath. My own soldiers—trained warriors—quaked at the very sight of the Philistine giant. But David? He seemed barely old enough to stand among men.
“What makes you think you can fight him?” I asked, leaning forward on my throne, half in curiosity, half in frustration. My words were sharp, meant to intimidate, but David’s gaze didn’t falter.
“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the bear will deliver me from this Philistine,” he said. His voice carried a conviction that pierced through my doubt. Yet, I couldn’t help but see his frailty. He was no warrior. His arms lacked the strength to lift a sword; his frame couldn’t bear the weight of armor.
I ordered my servants to bring my own armor, hoping to bolster his chances of coming out of this fight alive. They strapped it onto him, piece by piece, but the sight was almost laughable. The breastplate hung loose, the helmet slid over his brow, and the sword at his side dragged on the ground. David struggled under the weight, his shoulders sagging.
Finally, he shook his head and unbuckled the straps. “I cannot go in these,” he said. “I have not tested them.” His tone wasn’t rebellious—it was earnest, almost humble.
As he stripped off the armor, I saw the fear flicker in his eyes. He was human, after all. The thought of facing a giant with nothing but a sling and stones must have terrified him. But it didn’t stop him. Beneath the fear, there was something else—something stronger.
Faith.
This boy had no illusions about his strength or his skill. He knew there were others more capable for this moment, but he also knew what was burning in his heart. God had put the fire in him, and God could not be defeated. It wasn’t arrogance that drove him to step forward; No, it was a deep trust.
I, Saul, the anointed king of Israel, had spent years chasing external signs of power—armies, weapons, alliances. I beleived these things would yield some fruit. Yet, here was this shepherd, a boy, armed only with a sling, daring to do what my greatest warriors would not. For the first time in a long time, I was reminded of what the prophet Samuel had told me not long ago:
“The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart.”
David’s heart was not perfect. I could see the burden of doubt he carried, the lingering fear he fought to suppress. But his heart burned with love for God, and that love overcame his weakness. Many would say I had everything anyone could want, yet never before had my own heart felt so empty, as I looked upon the sincerity of this young David.
As he walked away, sling in hand, I saw a boy rising beyond his own frailty and humanity to fight a giant. I saw my own doubts and insecurities roaring even louder than the giant outside. “It is good to trust in the Lord,” I whispered softly to myself as I watched him go.
It was then that I knew: God would use this moment to show Israel that His power is made perfect in weakness.
The battle wasn’t just in the valley. It was in the hearts of all who watched. David’s trust in the Lord was a spark, and I could feel it lighting something in me that I had buried long ago beneath a deep desire for man’s approval and praise.
The boy didn’t look back as he stepped out to face Goliath. He didn’t need to. His confidence wasn’t in his own strength, but in the God who had chosen him—not for his stature or skill, but for his heart.
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