“He took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag.” 1 Samuel 17:40
When we prepare for a long trip, we must be certain to pack a suitcase with clothes and any other items we will need. The shepherd of Bible times also needed to plan ahead when they would be away from home for a long time. They needed to be certain to have enough clothing to keep them dry and warm. They also needed food, weapons, and water. But shepherds didn’t carry a suitcase with them. They carried most of this in their backpacks, large bags, or “scrips,” made of animal skins. It had a long strap which they slung over one shoulder. It may have been packed with some cheese, bread, raisins, olives, and dried figs. It also held any utensils they would need for outdoor cooking and eating.
We know David carried a special item in his scrip bag. First Samuel 17:40 says that: “He took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, and put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag.” David, like other young shepherds, kept his sling shot ammunition in his bag. David searched for stones that were just the right size, weight, and smoothness. He kept them safe inside his bag where they could be grabbed at a moment’s notice. Do you know what David used the stones for? He used one of them to kill the giant Goliath. First Samuel 17:49 continues: “Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine in the forehead.”
David’s bag was ready not only for his next snack, but also for his next enemy. He would have been in serious trouble if he reached into his bag and noticed that he forgot to fill it with stones. He would have stood quite helpless before the giant. We can learn a lesson from David. He teaches us that our bags should also be filled and ready to face the enemy. What bags? What enemy? God has given us weapons to fight the devil at a moment’s notice. He provides us with the ammunition that we keep with us at all times. He gives us the power of his Word, the strength of prayer, and the muscle of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told us to be ready for Satan’s attacks that may come at any time. We should be ready to reach into our scrips and pull out the weapons we need to put an end to his temptations.
We thank the Lord for providing us with a bag filled with his Word that we can stand up to the devil and his evil ways. We must continue to read our Bibles so we can keep our ammunition ready!
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us the strength to stand up against the devil. You have promised that our temptations and problems will never be greater than we can bear. Fill our shepherd’s bag with your words of love. Amen.
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