ARMOR BEARER THOUGHTS (from I Samuel)

Let me get this off first.

I inadvertently deleted an entire post, so I'll try to re-write it first then explain,

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1. GOLIATH's Armor Bearer "one bearing a shield went before him" (I Sam. 17:7) What stays with me about this story is not Goliath or even David, who felled him, but his father. The king, impressed with the shepherd boy's bravery, asked, "Whose stripling is this lad?" I'd love it if people's first reaction to incredible encounters in my life were to wonder about My Heavenly Father.

2. JONATHAN's Armor Bearer "Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said unto the young man that bore his armor, Come, let us go over to the Philistines' garrison, that is on the other side...for there is no restraint for the LORD to save...the LORD saved Israel that day" (I Sam. 14:1,6,23) It's not so much the battle as what happened afterwards. The people should've been thanking God for the victory but barely saved Jonathan's life from King Saul's misplaced judgement.

3. SAUL's Armor Bearer "Then said Saul unto his armorbearer, Draw thy sword, and thrust me through with it...his armor bearer would not" (I Sam. 31:4) We see when this record of Saul's death (even his closest soldier could not bear to kill him) reached David, he mourned for him. Christians often think they are unblameworthy if they do not retaliate when wronged, if they do not get angry or take matters into their own hands. But do they ask God to cleanse their hearts such that when misfortune strikes offenders, the reaction would be to grieve for them?