Are you discouraged today?Maybe you are driving to meet with a client and you turned on the radio. You hoped for some encouragement and instead listened to two commentators talking about the economy. You're wondering how you can sell to your client with such bleak news.
Maybe you put your baby to bed and decided to do the bills while he's asleep. You feel like you've cut every corner yet there's too much month left with too little funds to cover it. You sit back in your chair and let the tears fall and you mentally watch all your hopes and dreams for your child vanish into thin air. How will you provide for college? How can you afford a nice wedding? Not to mention, how can he maintain a strong spiritual life in such a non-christian world?
Maybe you closed your Bible and bowed your head to pray for your congregation. They are such good people but they seem so lost. What can you say? How can you lead? These are such desperate times!
I HAVE GOOD NEWS........YOU CAN BE KING DAVID!
Not all the good news of the Bible takes place in the New Testament. A lot of it is in the Old Testament. Times were even harder then and it seemed there just wasn't any hope. Yet for every difficult time - God showed up!
If you can afford a few pennies....I recommend that you go to Amazon.com or half.com and order Max Lucado's book Facing the Giants. I love the way he explores our giants and how David can teach us to fight those giants.
David was so insignificant. Goliath was making fun of the Israelites. Goliath was mocking everyone. No one could take him. It was hopeless. The armies of God were simply waiting for the Philistines to march in and take over.
"For forty days, twice a day, morning and evening, the Philistine giant strutted in front of the Israelite army" (I Sam. 17:16)
Lucado asks the question, "Does yours do the same? First thought of the morning, last worry of the night -- your Goliath dominates your day and infiltrates your joy. How long has he stalked you?"
David wasn't paying attention. He didn't care what had happened before or what was about to happen. Little David, Psalm singing David....not really fighter material David had one simple thought. "God protected me before....he will do the same again."
How can anyone do that? How can any human with a mature thought process just push all the facts out of his mind? Did David know or see something that we don't?
YES! For forty days and nights all the Israelites could see was Goliath. He consumed all of their thoughts and paraded through their nightly dreams.
When David showed up he looked beyond Goliath. He focused on something bigger, something grander, something that made Goliath look like an ant. David focused on God.
"Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (17:26)
Lucado continues, "David shows up discussing God. The soldiers mentioned nothing about him, the brothers never spoke his name, but David takes one step onto the stage and raises the subject of the living God."
"The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (17:37)
Anytime I have serious trouble in my life, it's usually because I concentrate my eyes and thinking on the problem. It's when I forget how really big God is and how many wonderful answers He has - that's when real trouble begins.
We serve THE ALMIGHTY GOD. Do you know how big that is? Can you imagine even a tiny mustard seed of how large and magnificent He is?
David knew the power of his God.
"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today, I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord save; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give all of you into our hands." (17:45-47)
Can you imagine the roar of laughter from the Philistines? Can you hear the jeers and taunts from Goliath? While Goliath bellows about David being a twig....David stands as tall and determined as he can. He squints his eyes and imagines all the power of Heaven.
Goliath sees a twig while David sees Almighty God and all his angels.
Lucado, "No one else discusses God. David discusses no one else but God. A subplot appears in the story. More than David versus Goliath, this is God-focus versus giant-focus. David sees what others don't and refuses to see what others do.....David majors in God. He sees the giant, mind you; he just sees God more so."
So, who do you see? Do you see an economy that's struggling or do you see a God that has promised to be faithful to his children?
Do you see a family that's falling apart or do you see a God with answers and a plan for your children?
Have you given up and said life is too complicated, I just want to quit. Or do you see the armies and angels of God poised and waiting for his command to deliver you from whatever you face.
Giving in to the problems around us is never the answer. Getting closer to the mighty God we serve will always provide answers and new opportunities.
I PROMISE YOU......WITH GOD'S WISDOM.....THERE IS A SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM.
We may not like the solution, we may not be crazy about the work we have to do....but God is able to do all things.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us (Eph. 3:20)
Remember: If you focus on your giants, you will stumble.
Focus on God and your giants will tumble.
God loves you,
Debbie
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