Monday, October 6, 2014

Childlike Faith 10/6/2014

"'Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.' And David said, 'The Lord 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 the Lord be with you.'” 1 Samuel 17:36-37

There is scarcely anyone who is unfamiliar with the famous story of David and Goliath. And though we are familiar with the larger lesson and the greater details, there are other noteworthy aspects of the story that bear amplification.

First, the army of Israel was absolutely immobilized in the face of a 9 ft. giant who taunted and harassed them every day for more than a month. The challenge involved having just two men fight rather than both full armies in a "winner take all" contest. No one but David, as it turns out, was willing to step up to the task.

Second, David was harshly criticized for his youthful exuberance. His own brother chastised him and accused him of both being arrogant and being a bit of a rubbernecker. He resisted these charges and continued to inquire about the situation and what was to be done for the person who could defeat the enemy.

Once commanded to appear by the king, who himself seemed to be immobilized, David was reminded that he was just a child and that Goliath had been a warrior from his youth. David responded by sharing his experiences with the king. He had killed both lion and bear using, among other things, his bare hands when they threatened him and his sheep. This he claimed to do through the power of God, indicating that he could not sit idly by and allow the insult to God or his people. He was also confident that this same God would protect him as he had done in the past.

Having convinced the king to allow him to go, he was supplied with armor and a sword but rejected them in favor of 5 smooth stones and a leather sling to fight the heavily armed giant.

Beloved, David was just a child but his absolute faith in God gave him strength and courage that was apparently available nowhere else in all of Israel. There are many lessons that can be learned from the faith of someone so young. We should know and believe that we will face adversaries and adverse situations that are bigger than we are but none that are bigger than God. We will endure discouragement from those who are cowering in fear instead of standing tall in the Lord. We will never be at a loss of those who will remind us of the impossibility of the task, particularly in view of what they perceive to be our shortcomings, yet we can rely on what we know our God can do through us. And finally, there will always be those who will weigh us down with what they think we need when we know that God has already equipped us with everything we require to be successful in his name.

We all know that David prevailed but the number one lesson to be learned is that there is nothing, no matter how daunting, that we cannot overcome through a childlike faith and through the power of Almighty God. Let us always remember to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil," Ephesians 6:10-11.

One,

Lee

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