I Samuel 17:38-39
“Then Saul outfitted David as a soldier in armor. He put his bronze helmet on his head and belted his sword on him over the armor. David tried to walk but he could hardly budge. David told Saul, ‘I can’t even move with all this stuff on me. I’m not used to this.’ And he took it all off.”
“Then Saul gave David his own armor – a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. ‘I can’t go in these,’ he protested to Saul. ‘I’m not used to them.’ So David took them off again.”
David was not trapped by familiarity, was willing to try new things. He also had sense to stand upon what had worked for him in the past. Familiarity becomes idolatrous when it is our security. At the same time wisdom says it’s silly, in extreme moments, to abandon the tried and true for the magical new. Many things in life call us to operate on this knife edge. It is impossible, but not with God. As with David, the secret is to know, by prior experience, we can trust his preparation for what he calls us to do.
Lord, keep me ready. Make me able to respond in an instant, without hesitation, to your commands. Give me wisdom to know when and how to leap forward with you.