Even if you’ve never cracked a Bible you probably know the story of David and Goliath, the little shepherd boy who slays a giant with a slingshot.
I’m excited for the animated version of this story in the not-too-distant future. If you want to see the trailer of that movie click <here>. You can watch many family friendly movies and tv shows for free in the Angel Studios app on your device or smart tv. Click <here> to see more of what they offer. You will be amazed and pleasantly surprised.
And no, I’m not paid to promote anything. I am just passionate about what these people are doing, and all that has happened since The Chosen television series came out a few years ago. You can view The Chosen on the Angel app, too, or in its own app by clicking that title above.
Now, back to my reason for writing today…
Quoted from the overview in the David Movie website:
“David is one of the most inspiring characters in human history. As a boy, he fought Goliath because no one else dared to…David’s life is one of incredible color and energy…David’s story is among the most compelling in history. It points to God and challenges the image of an austere, unapproachable, and distant deity. DAVID portrays the possibility of a living, breathing, and transformative relationship with God.”
I cannot stress enough what an impact this story, that I’ve read a hundred times before, had on me this time around. Once again, as I listened in my Daily Audio Bible app, I heard something I hadn’t noticed before. It’s so funny how we become numb to the familiar, isn’t it? We glaze over things we’ve heard many times, until one day something strikes a nerve and BAM! There’s that brick in your face!
The narrator shed light on a hidden gem this time. When that light reflected back into my own eyes I had to squint and squirm a little, because I’ve used the phrase, “give it to God,” on others, but when it comes to myself, well, it often just doesn’t apply. I want to wrestle that giant myself, like I always did before I really trusted my Abba Father in heaven. But that wasn’t all.
I often find it impossible to let go and truly give it to God to handle for me. And even when I do, I still want to hold the reins, and navigate the way I see others handle the same problem. It’s not that I don’t understand we all have different tools and skills and circumstances, but understanding that and resisting the urge to compare or mimic someone else’s success with the same problem is really tough.
It’s easy to see the obvious message of the David and Goliath story. In one of my study Bibles it says, “this is one of the Bible’s best loved stories, illustrating God’s ability to provide victory in the face of overwhelming odds…and has inspired faith over the centuries precisely because it portrays purity and right as victorious over might.”
The subtle message, the one most of us don’t hear, is that one that touches on how we fight our giants. When David approached King Saul about fighting the giant, Saul, the tallest of all the Israelites – the one that should have stepped up to challenge Goliath – outfitted little David in a suit of armor. Only David couldn’t function in all that heavy metal.
He had to wear his own clothes, use his own tools and skills, and face that battle trusting in the power and protection of a God who was faithful to him.
Talk about giving it to God!!
David was a small, young, inexperienced kid, with a fierce belief in his Abba. Our faith is what saves us, every time. When we trust, really and truly trust, He is faithful to deliver what we need. It may not always be what we think we need, but it’s always what it best for us.
Here’s how it went when King Saul protested David’s desire to fight the giant, copied from chapter seventeen of the book of 1 Samuel, NLT version:
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32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”33 “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.” 34 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, 35 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. 36 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! 37 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!” 38 Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39 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. 40 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.
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You can read the rest of the story yourself by clicking <here>.
Brian Hardin, founder of the Daily Audio Bible is so good at calling attention to the subtleties of these Bible stories. I’ve heard him tell this story before. This is my third year of going through the Bible in a year with this teacher, but for some reason this story never struck the chord like it did now.
I know that reason. And it’s why we Christ-followers say the Word of God is dynamic and relative, both the Old and New Testaments. I wasn’t fighting a battle the other times. Recently I have been struggling and praying for answers, and the words were like a flashing neon sign in my head.
As we go through our ever-changing lives, the ebb and flow, the peaks and valleys, we can draw from God’s Word all the help we need at every specific moment if we’re willing to ask for His guidance. Of course, we have to be still enough to hear it over our own clamour. Tough call for me. And we cannot use someone else’s experience and apply it to our dilemmas. Just like Brian said in his commentary, we must “…be who we are as we face trials and battles of our own…” Just like David did.
The slight little shepherd boy who was the least capable in the eyes of his peers, his family, and, of course, the pompous giant, Goliath, won the battle. Who would have ever suspected he was the one chosen by God to replace Saul to become the greatest king of Israel? To be known as “a man after God’s own heart.”
God uses the most unpretentious people to accomplish impossible feats through and through the whole Bible, over and over again. A common saying among Christ-followers is, “God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”
By the way, I use the phrase “Christ-follower” because there are many people out there that call themselves Christians, but don’t really follow Jesus. If we aren’t Jewish, or Muslim, or Buddhist, or whatever, and we believe in one God, we call ourselves Christians. It’s confusing to some, though, because Christians are supposed to be Christ-like. Sadly, not all of us are.
That term has become hollow to me because there are tons of people out there that have been hurt by the church and people who claim to be Christians. And I am so very sorry for that. I hope if you’re one of them you will give Jesus another chance. Remember, Jesus is not about religion, He’s about relationship. And He never said to follow His people. He said to “follow ME.”
To be a Christ-follower means we study Him, study God’s Word, and strive to love God and love people the way Jesus did. And your church should be your family that loves you, educates you, and walks alongside you in times of trouble. If you don’t have a church like that, email me. I will help you find one wherever you are.
Have a glorious day. Invite Jesus into it. Know what it means to have…
Peace in Christ
God Loves Bad Girls, Too! 