In 1 Samuel 17:26b, David asks the soldiers who were running away from Goliath in fear, “Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” In verse 33, David tells Saul “Don’t worry about this Philistine. I’ll go fight him!” Saul’s answer was “There is no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You are only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” Finally, in verse 45, David tells Goliath, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies – the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied… Everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” David was incredulous that this Goliath was defying the armies of Israel, and the soldiers were actually running away. Don’t they know who their God is? David knew who his God is and he was determined to give God His opportunity to show Himself strong. In spite of those, including Saul himself, who would discourage him, David was determined to follow through with what God had given him to do. David knew that his own size or experience in matter of war did not matter when God fights our battles. He only requires that we show are willing to make the stand. This scripture, especially in light of the sermon series we just concluded and the sermon from last Sunday, rings loud and clear that we must not evaluate what God calls on us to do in terms of what WE can do. He only asks us to be willing and then to let Him accomplish His work thru us. So many times I have failed to keep this very important principle in mind when I face difficult or even “impossible” circumstances. I find it so easy to tell myself that I cannot do something, so I need to choose something else – rather than pressing in to understand His will in the matter. He has told us in so many ways that He is not only able, but also willing, to do the impossible thru us – whether that is about moving mountains into the sea or causing us to walk on the water. I need to allow Him to increase my faith and to strengthen my heart. I want to walk in the confidence and boldness that comes from knowing in my heart that NOTHING is impossible for me when I am about His business and fulfilling His calling on my life. Whether it is about giants in my life or just about feeling inadequate for what I need to do, it is not about my ability, it is about Christ in me. I want to be one who would stand up for the reputation of my God no matter what the challenges are. -Mike Tunks #iholdthekeys
Posted on: Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:15:59 +0000