I Samuel 21:8-9 “8 David said to Ahimelech, ‘Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.’ 9 Then the priest said, ‘The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here.’ And David said, ‘There is none like it; give it to me.’”

Of all things to find in Nob! Goliath’s sword! The last time we saw it was when David had killed Goliath and put it in “his tent.” So how did the priest get it and hide it in Nob? That question is one we will have to ask the Lord one day. Scholars debate how it got there. Perhaps David dedicated it to the Lord after the battle with Goliath. Some even say the cloth it was wrapped in was Goliath’s battle robe or cloak.

So what secret power did this sword hold? None, except to remind David of God’s faithfulness to give him the power to kill a giant when he was just a lad. Well, that might have been enough for me! Can you imagine how David felt when he once again held that sword in his hands? Can you imagine the memories that flooded his mind when he saw that sword? The thoughts of the day of his salvation from Goliath at the hands of the Lord would have been coursing through his mind.

Your children are going to face times when they feel like there is no hope. They are going to forget all those times when God has rescued them. They may even doubt their salvation. They need reminders! They need something to refresh their minds of God’s faithfulness. What can you put back, like the priest did with Goliath’s sword, to present to them on those days?

Perhaps it will be a picture of the day they followed Christ in believer’s baptism. Perhaps it will be a small wooden cross they made in VBS the year they asked Christ into their heart. Perhaps it will be the AWANA award they received for memorizing all those scriptures. Whatever it is, be prepared to hand it over to them. God will remind them of His faithfulness, but sometimes that memory needs a jolt.