What's in Your Bag?

Today's Verse:

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. ~1 Samuel 17:40

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In this day of terrorism and safety concerns, most places frequented by large blocks of the public, such as airports, courthouses, museums, and even churches, have individuals assigned to inspect people who enter with shopping bags or backpacks. Their question is always the same: "Can I see what’s in your bag?" David carried a shepherd’s bag or scrip. One morning, he never would have imagined that what he had in that bag could be so valuable and instrumental in helping his country attain a decisive victory.

We see the trademark of the bag.

The scrip or shepherd’s bag was a small satchel with a long, winding strap. It would be worn from the shoulder and stretched across the body so that the satchel could be at the hip level. In it, the shepherd would carry small amounts of food or small objects. It was the equivalent of pockets that men have in their pants. It was a necessary part of a shepherd’s trade. I think of this as a tool bag. Every Christian should see his life as a tool bag in which things are stored. We store things of necessity in our life. There are the memories of past victories. There is the memorization of Scripture. There are the spiritual decisions we make after a sermon is preached. Our life is a treasure chest whereby we store and retain those virtues that are vital necessities for our walk with God.

We see the treasure in the bag.

David chose him five smooth stones out of the brook. The brook was a water source. Water speaks eloquently of Christ and the vast resources that He makes available to us through His Word. Like David, we must choose stones that are smooth and without rough edges. Each of the five stones that David chose are invaluable stones that must be in every bag. There was the smooth stone of faith. "Without faith it is impossible to please God." There was the smooth stone of God’s Word. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” There was the smooth stone of prayer. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." There was the smooth stone of the Holy Spirit. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts." There is the smooth stone of courage. Be strong and of a good courage. The number five is the number of grace. God’s grace must be dominantly present in our lives for these stones to be useful.

We see the triumph within the bag.

David put his hand in the bag, took thence a stone, and slang it, and he smote the Philistine in his forehead. David only needed one stone to defeat the giant. The first one he took out hit its mark. This reminds me that any one of these spiritually necessary virtues is the vital ingredient for defeating the giants in our life. In that bag contained the tools to take the giant down and soundly defeat him. All of us need to keep our bag filled to capacity with these smooth stones. We should be so dependent upon God’s grace to strengthen us that we can sling one stone and beat the devil, the flesh, and the world.

What’s in your bag? Maybe the starting point is for us to shake out the debris and rough-edged stones we have been carrying. Then, let us go to the brook by the way and choose out five smooth stones that are always win-win tools.

Have a well-resourced God Morning!

Bible Reading Schedule: Mark 10-11

#1Samuel #SpiritualTools