David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?†   1 Samuel 17:26 (NIV)
The devotion yesterday was reprinted from four years ago. I reprinted that devotion because I am once again facing giants in my life. I wish I could say that I boldly marched toward these giants with my Holy Spirit-given slingshot and put the creeps down with well-placed shots. I did but I had to walk through many miles of desert to get there.
And then last night I was notified that a friend of mine had to have emergency surgery. She has been battling cancer for a number of years and pain has been an almost constant companion. She is living out God’s principles and promises that I am reading in 1 Samuel 17. She went into surgery reassuring the physicians that God was with them. She was keeping her eyes on Who was standing with her. She moved toward her giant without fear because she knew the One with her, just as David did. I receive her testimony and I will be repeating it to those that I meet. But first, I am taking it into my own life.
The army of Israel was paralyzed because all they could see was the giant. All they could think about was how much bigger the giant was than they were. I believe David could see God because he spent so much time with God. He knew what God could do in seemingly overwhelming situations (like attacks by a bear and a lion). David was also the youngest and so he received his encouragement, his comfort from someplace other than his immediate family. He was pretty far down that food chain!
David never doubted that he would prevail over the giant. Why? Because David knew he wasn’t the One with the power to prevail! David knew that he just needed to do what God asked of him and the giant would be defeated. I’m not told that David had any doubts about fighting a heavily armed and armored giant with just a slingshot and some stones. His relationship with God had produced that kind of trust and faith. David spoke rightly when he identified God as living. I do not put my faith in a statue of a long gone, dead god. My LORD is alive and active in my life. He is alive!
And so giants may appear in my life but I am following my friend and David’s examples and spending more time with my LORD so that when a giant tries to bellow his way into my focus, I will keep marching forward, right behind my LORD, putting my feet into His footsteps. I will grab on to His promises, His principles and wrap them around me like armor, learning how to live in His joy that is not defeated by any circumstances of this world.
You made me and formed me with your hands.
Give me understanding so I can learn your commands.
Let those who respect you rejoice when they see me, because I put my hope in your word.
Lord, I know that your laws are right and that it was right for you to punish me.
Comfort me with your love, as you promised me, your servant.
Have mercy on me so that I may live.
I love your teachings.
Make proud people ashamed because they lied about me.
But I will think about your orders.
Let those who respect you return to me, those who know your rules.
Let me obey your demands perfectly so I will not be ashamed. Â Â Â Psalm 119:73-80 (NCV)
Oh Happy Day written by Edwin Hawkins (1967), sung by the choir in Sister Act 2
