When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” – 1 Samuel 31-32 (ESV)
When David went to visit his brothers as the armies of the living God prepared to battle the Philistines, he was amazed that no one was willing to pick up the gauntlet tossed down by Goliath. Filled with the courage of youthful faith, he asked King Saul to let him answer the call to slay the Philistine. To validate his qualifications, he shared that he was ready because he had slain both a lion and a bear in the course of protecting his flock.
As you find yourself called upon to slay giants, you need only recall past victories against apparent insurmountable odds to muster up the courage to do battle. Don’t be like the Hebrew children wandering in the wilderness. Don’t forget how God has parted the Red Seas in your life and provided the equivalent of manna and quail when you needed them. Remember how God provided money you needed, a kind word from someone who had no idea how badly you needed to hear it, or a feeling of total peace as you sat in a sea of chaos. When God calls you, you are ready to win the victory! He has been preparing you all your life.
Adapted from the Discover & Respond 40 Day Devotional (http://fh.org/40daysdevotional). Photo by Jennica Reis, used with permission.
We all have giants we need to slay.
My challenge is accepting that it’s not me who needs to slay the giants, it’s the Lord. He is the only one who can mount an offensive against apparent insurmountable odds and come out victorious – I need to learn how to let go and let God fight the battle for me.
A decade ago, I was working for a startup company, we ran out of capital and it was winding down. I was given notice that I was to be laid off – at the same time my wife was approaching her 40th week of pregnancy with our first baby. This was the perfect time to panic! About to be a first time father, unemployed, and without health insurance, I didn’t have a plan, but I had a strange peace about the situation.
God fought the battle for me – within a week I had a job with insurance that started right away, making more than the job I was leaving. Against insurmountable odds in a poor economy, I was able to recover from this situation.
What battles are you fighting? What things do you need to hand over to the Lord to help you fight?
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