Friday the 30th

1 Samuel 17: ⁴³ He (Goliath)  said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. ⁴⁴ "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"  ⁴⁵ David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Everyone knows the story of David and Goliath, we use the image in our everyday life to explain the underdog winning. We like to tell the story of how one small man overcame the unbeatable giant. Many never pay attention to what was spoken before David slung that rock. If they did the story would take on a whole new meaning wouldn’t it? It would take on the meaning that it is supposed to have, which is no man who walks with the Lord is alone, no person who steps out in faith is defeated.  You see, David had won the moment he decided top step out on to the battle field in the name of the LORD. It must have been quite a sight! David had to of been I would imagine around 16, his brothers treated him like a kid, Saul said he was “only a boy” Now Goliath, he was a battle hardened vet. He had seen battle time and time again, the taste of death, was nothing new to him.  When it comes time to go out and face him, no one will go! An entire army of warriors, and not one would go……except for David. David had no armor, he had to borrow some, and even that did not fit, he had no weapon, save for a sling and a bag of stones. What David did have was the one thing that was lacking among the ranks of his countrymen……faith. David did not go out for fame, he did not go out for his country, he did not go out so others would treat him like a man. He stepped onto the battlefield in the name of the LORD! No spear or sword stood a chance, no warrior, no matter his experience level can stand against the LORD. This is the key, this is the part we so often forget. Yes David killed Goliath, but David was not alone, David had God with him. Even a kid becomes a formidable opponent when that kid comes in the name of the LORD. We are today’s David’s I know that we all face struggles, and battles that look impossible, struggles that no one else you know is willing to take on. We look around and we know that we do not have the best worldly armor, we do not own the high tech weaponry that the enemy might have. What we do have is armor that cannot be pierced, and the weapon that we carry with us, is the power of the Lord our God, the creator of the world. What earthly obstacle can stand a chance against the one who created everything? I see people daily going up against their Goliath, and failing over and over again. The problem is always the same, they want the ending of the story, without the beginning. They want the glory for themselves, not for the Lord.  They want the win, but they do not want the way! If you want to slay your Goliath, all you need is what the Lord puts in your hand. If you want to be victorious, step onto the battlefield of life in the name of the Lord.  It is the first part of the story that is important. Without it you’re just a kid slinging rocks!

 

God bless, and have a great weekend

Brian