"Unlikely Weapons!"

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The last message I shared with you was titled, "Unlikely Heroes" and today's message is a similar one, "Unlikely Weapons." As pointed out in the last message when David hit that battlefield on an errand for his father he was the most unlikely person there to go up against Goliath. Why? Because he wasn't even a soldier in the army. He was just a kid. etc, etc, etc. The reasons why no one on that battlefield would have chosen David as the hero of the day are numerous. Unlikely in the eyes of the world? Most definitely! Unlikely in the eyes of the God we serve? Most definitely not! After all God uses the most unlikely people, the most unlikely circumstances, and the most unlikely weapons to bring about the most unlikely miraculous solutions.

In David's case the most 'unlikely weapon' as we all know was a small smooth stone and a slingshot. King Saul thought it a pretty unlikely weapon and he tried to give David his armor as well as putting his own sword in David's hand. Goliath, as he came out to meet him was actually offended that David, a shepherd boy, approached with only 'his shepherd staff, five small smooth stones in his shepherd's bag, and a slingshot in his hand.' 1 Samuel 17:40 He couldn't believe that this boy had come to fight him with such unlikely weapons. "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?"  And he cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" 1 Samuel 17:43-44

David's response is one that must have caused a stir in the ranks of the the armies on both sides of the valley.  "You come at me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin, But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." 1 Samuel 17:45-46

Did you notice that he mentions all the weapons that Goliath brought with him to the battle. The sword, the spear, and the javelin-all the weapons that Goliath had faith would give him the victory. However he didn't mention his unlikely weapons-the stones or the slingshot in his declaration of victory. Instead he declared that ..."The Lord will deliver you into my hand," ... His faith wasn't in the weapon that was in his hand but the God he served; the God that he knew was with him!

So as the battle proceeded all eyes were on the unlikely weapon in his hand as he ran forward to meet Goliath. As they watched, he put his hand in the pouch, pulled out a stone, put it in the sling and let it fly. While theirs and all too often, our focus was on slingshot and the stone in his hand David's was on the God that He had placed his faith in to win the victory. How do I know this? Easy. Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks and what came out his mouth was..."The Lord will deliver you into my hand."

So, David, an unlikely hero, with unlikely weapons in his hands, won the victory because he had faith in His God to deliver. The truth is, the real weapon that day wasn't his slingshot or the stone. The real weapon that day was the faith that filled his heart and enabled the unlikely weapons in his hands to prevail. Faith, the most unlikely weapon of all in the eyes of the world. The world will tell you that faith won't work but the truth is it will slay giants, bring down walls, win the victory in any battle. It will preserve you in times of persecution, bring health and wholeness to your body and it will even move mountains. Faith, and unlikely weapon or the surest way to victory in your life? You, like David, get to make that choice for yourself.