My oldest son celebrated his birthday not long ago, and I found myself feeling nostalgic as I thought about his childhood. He was a busy boy, always moving, always determined. It seemed he was born to get things done and take the lead. He crawled early, walked early, ran fast, and was passionate about doing things “by myself.”
I remember once, when he was just a toddler, he became completely focused on tying his red tennis shoes. After nearly an hour of trying, he grew frustrated, cried, and declared that he would no longer wear them. But not long after, he was back at it, working again at those little red shoes. Before long, he was off and running, laces tied as best as his little hands could manage, proudly telling his daddy, “I did it by myself!”
When the laces come undone on the red shoes
His victory was brief. The laces came untied, he tripped, and skinned his knee. Tears followed, and I gathered my independent little one in my arms and kissed them away. When the tears dried, we sat down together and tried again. This time, we tied those shoes properly, and eventually, they stayed tied. It was a tough lesson, but an important one. That day, he learned to let Mama help him.
As time passed and he grew, he also learned something more. When he could not figure something out, he came and asked for help.
What was forgotten
Just as my son had to learn from tying his shoes, I am learning to rely on past lessons and victories to move forward.
So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.”
And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
— 1 Samuel 21:9 (NKJV)
If you remember the story of David and Goliath, David killed Goliath, the champion of the Philistines and Israel’s dreaded enemy, with Goliath’s own sword. It was a great victory. Yet it seems that after that moment, the sword, the symbol of that victory, was put away and forgotten until the day David needed it again.
Reach back for the sword
Sometimes we walk through situations where victories from the past return to us at just the right moment. Like the sword of Goliath in David’s hand, they remind us of what God has already done. Realization comes, answers begin to form, and faith rises because we remember that God has brought victory before and will do so again.
I encourage you to reach back for those swords, those victories. Remember what God has done. Let it strengthen your faith to believe again. Then declare, as David did, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
Related reading: If this post encouraged you, you may enjoy these:
The movie David (available on Amazon) is a poignant family drama based on David’s story, with moments that encourage you to believe that God can use you, too.
