And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. — 1 Samuel 17:33
I will be honest with you about something. I have never liked it when someone tells me I cannot do something. My wife will confirm that without hesitation. There is something that happens in me the moment someone declares that a thing cannot be done or that I am not the one to do it. The stubbornness kicks in. The determination sharpens. And I find myself motivated not in spite of the doubt but because of it. Tell me something cannot be done and I will find a way to do it.
I suspect David understood that feeling. When David arrived at the battlefield and heard Goliath’s challenge and saw the army of Israel standing still, he began asking questions. And word got back to Saul that this young man was not afraid. So Saul sent for him. And when David stood before the king and offered to fight Goliath, Saul’s response was immediate and certain.
Thou art not able.
He was not being cruel. He was being logical. By every visible human measure Saul was absolutely right. David had no military record. He had no armor of his own. He had no experience in formal combat. He was the youngest of eight brothers, so overlooked that his own father had not thought to include him when the prophet Samuel came to anoint a king. He had been in the field tending sheep while his older brothers stood in formation looking like soldiers.
David was the last person anyone would have chosen. And yet he was the one God had already chosen.
That pattern runs through the entire Bible with remarkable consistency. God selected a stutterer to confront the most powerful ruler in the world. He selected a prostitute to shelter His spies at a critical moment. He selected a teenage girl from an unremarkable town to carry His Son. He selected fishermen with no theological credentials to carry the gospel across the known world. He has never once been limited by the world’s assessment of who is qualified for the moment He has prepared.
The voices that tell us we are not able, not ready, not qualified, not enough are often the loudest voices in the room. And sometimes those voices are not malicious. Saul was not trying to destroy David. He was applying reasonable logic to what appeared to be an unreasonable situation. But reasonable logic applied to a God-sized situation will always reach the wrong conclusion.
God is not looking for the most impressive resume. He is not searching for the most experienced candidate or the one who looks most ready from the outside. He is looking for a heart that trusts Him more than it trusts the odds. A heart that hears thou art not able and responds, not in arrogance, but in the quiet, settled confidence of someone who knows that the God standing behind them is larger than the giant standing in front of them.
David did not argue with Saul’s assessment of his qualifications. He simply redirected the conversation to what actually mattered. He told Saul about the lion and the bear. He pointed not to his own ability but to the track record of the God who had delivered him before.
The next time someone tells you that you are not able, not ready, or not enough for what God has placed in front of you, remember that the qualification God is most interested in is not on any resume. It is the willingness to step into the valley anyway.
Sometimes the most meaningful encouragement comes from hearing how God is meeting people in ordinary moments.
If you would like to share your story or ask for prayer, we would love to hear from you at anotherwell.org.
These devotionals are written to encourage, challenge, and support you in your walk with God. If they are meaningful to you, you can subscribe and receive them by email.
About Another Well Ministries
Another Well Ministries exists to help people slow down, listen deeply, and encounter God in the ordinary places of life. Through devotionals, reflections, and spiritual resources, we seek to create space for faith to be formed with honesty, grace, and hope.
To learn more about the heart of the ministry or explore additional resources, visit anotherwell.org.
