“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!” 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 to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine. ( I Samuel 17:33-40 NLT)
Early one morning this week, I was watching a news report on the fighting that was going on in the Middle East. Disgusted and disappointed about how war prevails, l looked at something more uplifting. My eyes focused on the weapons used by the fighters on one side of the conflict. They were not equipped with modern day weaponry. They had weapons from a much earlier time. They had no tanks, no grenades, no general purpose machine guns, no weapons like those that are freely accessible, unfortunately, in the cities of the nation I live in, and no pulsed energy projectiles.
This group of non-militia men were slinging rocks at their enemies. It reminded me of the theatrical versions of David facing Goliath and winding up his sling and striking the Philistine on his forehead, causing the giant to fall on his face to the ground. After that reminder, I decided to read the account above in full, not just the excerpt about David versus Goliath above. I focused on something that you and I both can relate to in our times.
We have faced (or we are facing) giant obstacles, giant challenges, giant tasks, giant temptations, giant stress producing thoughts, giant changes that come with the blessing of again, and even those giant tasks of taking care of our household. We have faced the giant challenge of pressing on in spite of great physical, emotional, and spiritual attacks. We both can relate to David. We have approached or, prayerfully we are approaching, our giants with what seems ridiculous to others. But as for you and me, just as it was with David, we must keep taking what we do have, and continuing the fight, knowing that the Lord is with us too. We can face our giants with David’s confident words, speaking to our “giant” opponents, “I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts!” Yes, God is on our side. Need I remind you that it will all workout for good? Do I need to remind you that the Lord will make a way, somehow? If so, then what I just wrote, “It’s not ridiculous,” is right on time. And take the time to revisit the familiar passage in Romans 8 where our closing verse is taken from below. You will feel renewed if you don’t let “self” get in the way. Fight on my friend! Trust in the Lord! You know that’s not ridiculous, do you not? Have a better day that you thought you anticipated! Be blessed!!
“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 NIV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King