David was a
teenager when he saw Goliath of Gath.
The man was called a ‘giant,’ and he towered over him. He was a champion with many kills on his
record. He carried a spear that looked
like a beam from a house, with a tip the size of an anvil! His huge body was encased in a leather wrap, covered
with metal scales. He lumbered to the
front line of the Philistine army looking frightful. From there he roared his
challenge- “Why are you all coming out
to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the
servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills
me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our
slaves!" (1 Samuel 17:8-9, NLT) Every day it was the same; he
taunted and the men of Israel cowered. After all, who could meet such a freak
of nature on the field of battle and succeed? It was an impossibility, or so it
appeared to every reasonable man with military experience!
Jesse of Bethlehem woke up his youngest son and told him to take bread and cheese down to his three oldest brothers in the army. That boy grew up to become David, the poet king of Israel, the composer of Psalms. That day, when he arrived at front, Goliath was just coming out to do his daily challenge. The men of Israel fell silent, fearful, overwhelmed. But, David did not see a force of nature; he saw an insult to the Lord God of Israel. Faith rose up in him. "Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26, NLT) His oldest brother, Eliab, called him an arrogant pup, a know-nothing kid. David wasn't just a naive boy. He knew the Lord and entered the contest with the giant full of faith. The big man mocked the shepherd boy until he felt smooth stone from the slingshot connect with his forehead. I wonder if his last conscious was, ‘killed, by a shepherd kid, with a slingshot?’
Jesse of Bethlehem woke up his youngest son and told him to take bread and cheese down to his three oldest brothers in the army. That boy grew up to become David, the poet king of Israel, the composer of Psalms. That day, when he arrived at front, Goliath was just coming out to do his daily challenge. The men of Israel fell silent, fearful, overwhelmed. But, David did not see a force of nature; he saw an insult to the Lord God of Israel. Faith rose up in him. "Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:26, NLT) His oldest brother, Eliab, called him an arrogant pup, a know-nothing kid. David wasn't just a naive boy. He knew the Lord and entered the contest with the giant full of faith. The big man mocked the shepherd boy until he felt smooth stone from the slingshot connect with his forehead. I wonder if his last conscious was, ‘killed, by a shepherd kid, with a slingshot?’
Goliath never saw what was coming because he could not see the true power of the kid with a slingshot. God saw a mighty warrior of faith and directed
that stone to the target. David saw the same giant as a thousand other men, but
he saw him through eyes of faith. They saw a champion they could not defeat.
David saw a mortal man throwing down a challenge to the Lord God he loved.
When
temptation, loss, disappointment, confusion, or fear taunts us will we cower
or conquer? That largely depends on our perspective, and whether it is
informed by faith that flows from a daily conversation with God and truth of
the Scripture. Pray often, "Open my eyes to see the
wonderful truths in your instructions." (Psalm 119:18, NLT) Do you see only the probable or do you see the
possible? Is your vision sharpened by
faith that allows you to walk in the power of the Spirit, doing the
supernatural work of a living God?
We can only see as God sees when we are living near to Him,
walking in holiness, and listening intently to the voice of the Spirit. If we will walk with Him, faith will live in
us and we will be prepared to meet the Goliath challenges with sight sharpened
by faith!
Here’s a word from the Word.
Read it slowly, prayerfully. Let the amazing promise soak into your soul
and mind today; then take on that giant!
"When I think of
all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything
in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he
will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make
his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into
God’s love and keep you strong.
And may you have the
power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high,
and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is
too great to understand fully.
Then you will be made complete with all the
fullness of life and power that comes from God.
Now all glory to God,
who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish
infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in
Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen."
(Ephesians 3:14-21, NLT)
________________
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,
Open the eyes of my heart;
I want to see You, I want to see You.
Open the eyes of my heart, Lord,
Open the eyes of my heart;
I want to see You, I want to see You.
To see You high and lifted up,
Shining in the light of Your glory.
Pour out Your pow'r and love;
As we sing holy, holy, holy.
High and lifted up,
Shining in the light of Your glory.
Pour out Your pow'r and love;
As we sing holy, holy, holy.
Holy, holy, holy,
Holy, holy, holy;
Holy, holy, holy,
I want to see You.
Open The Eyes Of My Heart
Baloche, Paul
© 1997 Integrity's Hosanna! Music (c/o Integrity Music, Inc.)
CCLI License No. 810055
No comments:
Post a Comment