Just As I Am

Today, in my study of the word, I got a light concerning the Lord's choosing of man for His purpose according to His heart's desire, and how He equips His elect for the same. God looks at the heart of man. Whom He has chosen are the ones who have a pure heart before God and man. And the chosen ones always come with a certain character trait. To note a few are "prudent in speech and of good presence and Jehovah is with him."

But Jehovah said to Samuel, Do not regard his appearance and the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For it is not how man sees that matters; for man looks on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looks on the heart. And one of the attendants answered and said, I have just seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilled in playing and a mighty man of valor and a man of war and prudent in speech and of good presence, and Jehovah is with him. 1 Samuel 16:7-8

The Lord also prepared His chosen ones through their family background, environmental brought up since their childhood. In fact, everything in such a person's life is the training and preparation by the Lord for His use one day. David being a shepherd was no accident. Only by being such, he learned how to deal with lion and bear, protecting his sheep from these fierce predators. That was how he was trained to one day deal with an uncircumcised Goliath. 

Both the lion and the bear did your servant strike; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, for he has defied the ranks of the living God. And David said, Jehovah, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said to David, Go, and may Jehovah be with you. 1 Samuel 17:36-37

Since God had already trained such a one in his natural habitat, there was no need to further equip him to deal with Goliath. He already had the experience of killing lion and bear, and it was no difficult task to kill Goliath. Here is the lesson the Lord taught me. 

Often I used to think, to deal with certain matters I need to be equipped for that matter. Meaning, if David was to deal with Goliath, he should have the competence to deal with it. That's what Saul tried to do. Goliath being heavily armed with his warrior armor, Saul tried to arm David with similar armor, but it didn't work for David. His training was on real-life experience in the wilderness, not in a palace with warlords. David should simply meet his opponent as he was. That was the lesson I learned. 

Come just as you are! The Lord has already trained His chosen ones for His chosen tasks. Simply come just as you are! To put on something one is not familiar with, just to be competent, is to carry an unnecessary extra load. Perhaps, this unwarranted extra burden might only lead to a defeat. When the Lord called, come just as you are. the task at hand will be accomplished because Jehovah is with His chosen ones.

And Saul put his own garment on David, and he placed a bronze helmet on his head and put his armor on him. And David girded his sword over his garment and tried to go, for he had not tried the armor. Then David said to Saul, I cannot go in these because I have not tried them. And David took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook and put them into the shepherd’s bag that he had, that is, in his pouch; and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of Jehovah of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, whom you have defied. Thus David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David’s hand. 1 Samuel 17:38, 39, 40, 45, 50

David prevailed over Goliath with just a sling and a stone; no armor needed, no sword, no spear, no shield, no garment, yes, nothing extra was needed. Because he was already trained and equipped by the Lord!

In like manner, I need not bother to get extra "qualification" to do what the Lord called me to do. In fact, I have been considering upgrading my academic qualification to facilitate my service for which the Lord has called me. But the Lord has made it clear to me that He has been equipping me already and that I must come to Him just as I am. If anything extra is needed, He will see to it that I have them too, in time. As of now, I simply must drop the idea or consideration of acquiring extra qualifications with the assumption of meeting extra tasks assigned to me.  

What a light! I am being saved from unnecessary pursuit. To take on whatever is or will be assigned to me, the Lord's presence is all that is needed. The secret to the victory is not what one has or not, but the presence of the Lord. With the Lord's presence, just come as you are. Then, the task is already done!

Lord, I come to You just as I am. All that I need is You and all that You need is me, just as I am. Lord, I come to You just as I am.