Repeat


Note: This is an article that was posted previously. Last week this post came to mind and decided to stay. After pondering it for several days I decided to post it again, for the third time. Blessings for a Happy New Year!!!

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Yesterday in church, pastor's message was so good. I wish that everyone could have been there and heard it. The message was on David and Goliath. Life for us in America is changing faster than any of us can comprehend, let alone keep up with. Often these changes and the fear and unrest which bombard us from every side can seem like a giant. In light of this fact, the message God led pastor to deliver yesterday was divinely timed, as usual.


As soon as I realized what passage of scripture the sermon was from, I immediately became excited in my spirit. I love all of God's Word, but if I had to choose one story as my favorite, it would be the one pastor spoke on yesterday, David and Goliath. My most favorite part of the entire story is when David says in 1 Samuel 17:26 "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" Was David a soldier? No, but he was a warrior. Time spent in the fields tending his father's sheep had trained him and strengthened his trust in the one, true living God. He knew that if God could deliver him from a lion and bear nothing could hurt him. Especially not an uncircumcised Philistine.


How many uncircumcised Philistines do we have lurking in our lives? You know what I'm talking about. Those lies that the enemy loves to hurl at us day after long, tiring day. Insults, condemnation, falsehoods with just enough fact to masquerade as truth. I once heard a teaching that provided great enlightenment for me personally about a particular strategie the enemy uses. It concerned 1 Timothy 2:3 which says to "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier for Christ Jesus." The word hardship in this verse actually translates as a wearing down of the mind as a result of mental attack day after day after day. Isn't that exactly how the enemy does it? Occasionally there will be an all out attack, but usually it is nothing more than little jabs delivered day in, day out for days, months, perhaps years on end. Over time, the mind becomes weary and stressed. Once this happens, the enemy often doesn't even have to attack us. In our weary stupor we open the door wide and invite him in. Sometimes the enemy even receives the royal treatment as in the tiredness of our minds we become deceived and view God incorrectly. If we remain in this condition very long, we find ourselves reverting to former ways of behavior and thought. We return to serving and relying on ourselves rather than our loving heavenly Father. Instead of resting in the promises of God our Savior we roll around in the lying mire of deceipt and error. Before long, truth looks wrong and the F.E.A.R.=False Evidence Appearing Real around us seems to be true.


This is where David's brothers along with the rest of Israel's army found themselves. Day after day out came this heathen giant taunting them. Goliath, one of the giants of Gath hurled insult after insult at the armies of the living God. How was it that one, young shepherd boy stood fearlessly up to this taunting menace when an entire army quivered and quaked? The shepherd boy was more God conscious than evil conscious. The one, true living God, the Alpha and Omega, the deliverer from the bear and lion was greater on the inside of David than the evil, taunting, uncircumcised giant was on the outside. Perhaps we could say that David knew that "greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).


How secure was David in God? So secure that he can be found encouraging the entire Israeli army in verse 32 of 1 Samuel when he told Saul "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." OK, not only is this shepherd boy unafraid, he actually encourages those around him. Now would be a good time for us to recall that the men David is encouraging are experienced soldiers. They aren't other young boys such as he is. These men have fought in the name of the Living God. I'm sure that some of these soldiers have conquered in the name of the Most High God. They may have even experienced great victories in war. Yet here these mighty military men are cowering in the face of such evil opposition. But David...


David, a shepherd boy is firm in his resolve. No matter what argument those experienced soldiers around him give, he continues in his quest. He will not back down. No uncircumcised Philistine is going to stand there and defy the armies of the living God in his presence. No way! Nothing is getting in David's way either. Faultfinding brothers (vs. 28)nor untried armor (vs.38-39) deterred him. David went forth using what he knew (vs.40) and faced that ugly, menacing enemy Goliath. Now, it's about to get really good. As many times as I've heard this story told, I've never heard the next part expounded on by anyone. However, I simply have to bring it out. To me, it's one of the most exhilarating parts! Verses 41-44 tells of how Goliath kept coming closer, measuring David up. He looked David up and down. When Goliath saw that he was being faced down by a boy, he threw a fit. Goliath cursed at David and threatened to throw his carcass to the birds and beasts. Did you catch that? The enemy was insulted! He was totally ticked off! Why? Was it because Goliath was afraid of David? No, it was because Goliath was looking in the flesh, and the flesh can only see the outside. That's all the enemy ever can see. I love it! When God sent his warrior to the battle, the enemy saw a young, shepherd boy and became enraged.


What an insult that must have been to Goliath. Such a giant must have expected to be met by Israel's strongest, toughest soldier, if not the entire army. After days of hurtling taunts and threats the giant was met by one, unarmored boy. Victory didn't look promising for Israel at this point. I'm sure that David's brothers were beside themselves. How many times have you stepped out in faith only to be met by the scorn and criticism of others? How many times did it come from brothers and sisters in Christ? Like David, facing the giants in our lives is often done alone. However we have armor that fits perfectly. Armor which our loving heavenly father so abundantly provides. (Eph. 6:10-18)

OK, here we go, the showdown. David's response to Goliath's challenge never fails to stir up my insides. 1 Samuel 17:45 "Then said David to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.
46This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will smite you and cut off your head. And I will give the corpses of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
47And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's, and He will give you into our hands." Yes! Not only did David face Goliath head on, not only did he believe God would deliver him from Goliath, but David also believed that he would have victory over the entire Philistine army!



Too many times my spirit becomes dulled and insensitive to the Lord as the world around me heaps change after ungodly change much like the insults of Goliath were hurled at Israel. Yet the Lord of hosts, the God of the ranks of Israel is no respector of persons. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is God and He changes not. If He be on my side, who can be against me? He has said in Isaiah 54:17 that no weapon formed against me shall prosper. He has promised to never leave me or forsake me. Luke 10:19 tells me that I have been given authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy. That nothing shall harm me. (emphasis mine)


Do I live like God's words are true to me? Am I resolved like David? Do I look at the deceiving lies of the enemy and say "Who is this that they would defy a child of the living God?" or like the army of Israel do I quiver and quake in the face of hurtling insults and threats. When the world's threats of economic failure, sickness, disease, famine, this, that, and the other thing are hurled at me from every side, who am I? Am I a warrior of the most high God or a quaking soldier cowering in F.E.A.R. = False Evidence Appearing Real?


As we endure the hardships like good soldiers of Christ Jesus let's remember David, the shepherd boy of the most High God. Let's remember that just as God delivered David from the bear, the lion, and the giant, He will deliver us from whatever giants we face. Let's put on our armor and stand knowing that Psalm 91 and other scriptures of protection and provision are no less true today than they were last year. Nothing that affects the children of God has changed. We are still His children. He still loves us. He still cares for us. He still knows the hairs on our head. He still has thoughts of good towards us. (Psalm 139:17-18) If we have accepted Jesus as Savior, we are still healed, delivered, and saved. (Isaiah 53:4-5) May we not quiver and quake in fear, but may we stand resolved in total God confidence. "I pray that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God." (Philippians 1:9-11)

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