“David took the Philistine’s head and brought it to Jerusalem; he put the Philistine’s weapons in his own tent.”
We all have that one drawer or box in our homes. You know the one. It is full of things that look like rubbish to everyone else but are precious to us. It might be a pebble from a holiday beach, a torn ticket stub from a concert, or a faded photograph. To a stranger, it is just clutter. But to you, it tells a story.
In his book Soulprint, Mark Batterson highlights a fascinating detail in the story of David and Goliath that is easy to miss. After the battle was won and the giant was defeated, David took Goliath's armour and put it in his own tent.
When you stop to think about it, this is a strange decision. Scripture tells us that the coat of scale armour weighed five thousand shekels of bronze. That is roughly 125 pounds, or about 57 kilograms. David was a young shepherd boy at the time. He likely did not weigh much more than the armour itself. It was far too big for him to wear, and it was incredibly heavy to drag around. It must have taken up a huge amount of space in his small shepherd's tent.
Why keep such heavy, useless clutter?
Batterson suggests that David kept it because he needed a "Lifesymbol".
As human beings, we suffer from a terrible condition called spiritual amnesia. We have a habit of forgetting God's faithfulness. God performs a miracle for us on Tuesday, but by Friday, when a new problem arises, we panic and act as if God has never helped us before. As Batterson writes, "The primary reason we lose faith is because we forget the 'faith-fullness' of God".
David knew he was prone to forget. So, he kept the armour.
Imagine David waking up in his tent the next morning. The sun streams in and hits those massive bronze scales, making them shine. Immediately, the memory comes flooding back. He remembers the fear of the giant. He remembers the weight of the smooth stone in his hand. He remembers the rush of victory. The armour wasn't a trophy of David's strength; it was an altar to God's power. It was a daily reminder that "The God who did that yesterday is with me today."
We need Lifesymbols too.
We need physical objects that jog our spiritual memory. Batterson notes that the word "remember" appears almost 250 times in Scripture because we are so quick to forget. If we do not create deliberate reminders, the busyness of life will wash away our gratitude.
So, I want to ask you: What is in your tent?
Do you have a physical object that reminds you of a time God came through for you? It doesn't have to be a 125-pound suit of armour. It could be a journal entry from a season of prayer. It could be a hospital wristband from a time God healed you. It could be a stone you picked up during a difficult walk when you felt God's peace.
If you don't have one, find one today. Put it on your desk, your mantelpiece, or your bedside table. Let it be your "Lifesymbol." Let it be the thing that catches your eye when you are feeling discouraged, reminding you that God has been faithful in the past, and He will be faithful again.
Prayer of the Day:
Lord God, I confess that I often forget Your goodness. When I face new battles, I easily forget the victories You have already won for me. Help me to create "Lifesymbols" in my life. Help me to treasure the memories of Your grace. Let these reminders give me the holy confidence to trust You with my future, knowing that You are the same yesterday, today, and forever. In Jesus’ name, Amen.