May 15- Tackling Giants

May 15, 2011

Scripture Readings:
I Samuel 17:1-18:4; John 8:21-30;
Psalm 111:1-10; Proverbs 15:11

Great moments come with great opportunity.  
~Herb Brooks

I Samuel 17:1-18:4

It is really frustrating to pour your heart and soul into rooting for a favorite team only to realize as the season progresses that you are outsized by your opponents.  Sometimes it is hard to know who to blame for not recruiting larger, faster, more capable team members. How is any team supposed to win when the other team has giants? But every now and then a team will overcome a giant obstacle.  They will do the impossible, like the US Olympic Hockey team of 1980.  They pulled off a miracle. As a matter of fact, they pulled off the Miracle on Ice! Today, Israel is facing a giant.  He is over nine feet tall and likes to taunt the nation of Israel.  How to shut him up?  How do you stop an obnoxious pagan?

God's man in this story is the young boy David.  He has been secretly anointed to be the next king of Israel.  Meanwhile, Saul has been given over to a tormenting spirit by God.  As our story opens, the Israelites are facing their perpetual enemies, the Philistines.  The Philistines have a warrior giant named Goliath who is prepared to do solo combat with anyone from Israel in order to end a stand off between the two armies.  No one on Israel's side is willing to go up against a man who can wear a coat of armor that weighs 125 lbs and has a sword that is as big as a weaver's beam. 

David  has been sent by his father to check on his older brothers who are part of Saul's army.  David is appalled at the cowardice of the Israelites army and angry that a Philistine is defying the armies of the Living God.  Note David's faith that God is a living being who is knowable. 

In spite of his brothers' protests and Saul's attempts to arm him in the king's armor, David goes to fight the giant with five smooth stones, a slingshot, and faith in God's ability to work through him.  You know the story.  Goliath is taken down with one shot.  David then cuts off his head with Goliath's own sword!  At this defeat, the Philistines run away.  The Israelite army chases after them and defeats them to all the way to the city of Gath. 

With this victory, Saul takes David into the palace.  David and Jonathan, Saul's son, become best friends and Jonathan gives David his robe, tunic, sword, bow, and belt.  This is a pact of lasting friendship.

What can we learn from the story of David and Goliath?  If Goliath represents the "world," this story tells us that faith in God can defeat the attacks of the enemy against you in this world. 

Are you often challenged by discouraging thoughts and negative ways of dealing with the fallen nature of this world?  Are you tempted to get down on yourself and believe lies?  This story tells you that you can bring down the giant of self-hatred in your life.  You can overcome the darts and arrows of the devil.

David accomplished this victory by being true to himself.  He did not wear Saul's armor, which represented something that he was not.  He was true to himself.  He fought with the weapons that he used everyday as a boy shepherd.  He used the unique skills that God had given him and combined those simple skills with a mighty faith in God. Victory for David came with a simple slingshot.  The lesson is to be yourself in battle.  Do not try to act like something you are not.  God is able to use your gifts and your position in life to achieve victory.  Have faith and be true to yourself.

John 8:21-30

Jesus prophesies that the Jewish leaders who are challenging him in the Temple will die in their sins and not be saved.  He will be going to a place that they will not be able to enter.  Jesus is telling them the truth, but he is being evasive because he knows that their hearts are filled with unbelief.  He tells them that he is from above and they are from below, so they will not understand him or believe who he is.

Jesus says that they will not realize who he is until they have lifted him up on a cross. He confirms that he always does what the Father is telling him to do.  Jesus is modeling complete, perfect obedience to God.  The Bible tells us that many who heard him say this believed what he said.

Do you believe Jesus?  David and Jesus both model obedience for us, today.  Both experience victory over evil through obedience.  Your obedience to Biblical principles will give you victory, also.  Live an obedient life.

Psalm 111:1-10

This psalm states that God has paid a full ransom for His people.  That is exactly what Jesus did for us with his death.

Proverbs 15:11

If God knows the depths of death, He surely knows the depths of the human heart.  We can't understand our own hearts, but He can.

What did you notice today?

Blessings,

Jubilee Gal

Kathy Fullerton
© 2011