The Well
The Well |
|
Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Monday
May 12, 2008
Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of
mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two
to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. "I can't go
in these," he protested. "I'm not used to them." So he took them off
again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them in his
shepherd's bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd's staff and sling, he started
across to fight Goliath. Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer
ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. "Am I a
dog," he roared at David, "that you come at me with a stick?" And he cursed
David by the names of his gods. "Come over here, and I'll give your flesh
to the birds and wild animals!" Goliath yelled.
David shouted in reply, "You
come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the
LORD Almighty—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have
defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will
kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men
to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God
in Israel! And everyone will know that the LORD does
not need weapons to rescue his people. It is his battle, not ours. The LORD will give you to us!"
As Goliath moved closer to attack,
David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd's bag and
taking out a stone, he hurled it from his sling and hit the Philistine in the
forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face downward to the
ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine giant with only a stone and
sling. And since he had no sword, he ran over and pulled Goliath's sword
from its sheath. David used it to kill the giant and cut off his head. When the
Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.
1 Samuel
17:38-51
In one of the new study books of my Quick Verse Essentials Software, the writer states, "One of the myths of our culture is "if you set your mind to it, you can do anything." The heroes of that myth are self-made men and women, those who climb from obscurity to fame through sheer will power and determination. The message is clear. Victory goes to the strong, and the spoils of victory to those who are powerful.
The Bible presents a very different message: "Then he said to me, "This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD Almighty." Zechariah 4:6. I guess this is one of the reasons I love this man so much; he confronted our human inadequacy!
One of the questions in the study asked: When you are faced with a challenge that seems beyond your abilities, how do you tend to respond? In counseling training we are taught that there are two basic responses to challenges in our lives ¾ fight or flight ¾ recognize these? Well, David decided that he was going to fight. Now, fight doesn't necessarily mean that we have to fight per sea. It can simply mean that we confront the situation head on and deal with the situation openly and honestly!
Apparently, David remembered a Spiritual promise his fellow Israelites had forgotten; "'When you go out to fight your enemies and you face horses and chariots and an army greater than your own, do not be afraid. The LORD your God, who brought you safely out of Egypt, is with you! Before you go into battle, the priest will come forward to speak with the troops. He will say, 'Listen to me, all you men of Israel! Do not be afraid as you go out to fight today! Do not lose heart or panic. For the LORD your God is going with you! He will fight for you against your enemies, and he will give you victory!'" Deuteronomy 20:1-4.
He is there for us as well! Awesome!
Father, we are so happy to know that you are there for us as we face the Goliaths in our personal lives. Now, Lord, help us use David's example to give us hope and courage as You face those battles with us.
