Living Like David
I am often distracted by the challenges I face. There are times when the world seems to be resting on my shoulders, times when my anxieties are too large and my God is too small. It is in those moments when I need to be reminded that I am not my own highest power.
I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to have all the answers and make all the right choices. I don’t have to carry the burden of my children’s performance. Why? Because it’s not about me, it’s about God and His glory. It’s about Jesus taking an empty, cracked vessel and filling it with light to shine truth to the world. So often the problem is that we lose perspective of the power of the God we serve.
David was a humble shepherd who was called upon to fight a giant. He was tending his sheep, not looking to be a hero, and yet God called on him to do something that others thought impossible. When his brothers, fellow countrymen, and king all cowered in fear against a daunting enemy, God said, “David, I want to use you.” God wanted to use David to display His power and glory in a way that an army couldn’t.
David answered the call and went to stand before the giant with his sling and stone not because he was a strong and mighty warrior, not because he was seeking fame and status, but because he knew whom his God was and what his God could accomplish. David had a proper perspective of God’s power and he trusted God in the face of his fear. Goliath’s size didn’t matter, unforeseen circumstances didn’t matter, and death itself didn’t matter because David knew that God had the victory.
As David approached his enemy, met with mocking and ridicule, he boldly declared, “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 deliver you into my hands, 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 saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47 (paraphrased).
David was choosing to walk by faith, faith that the power of the Lord that he couldn’t see, was strong enough to defeat the enemy he could see. And as the story goes, David was indeed triumphant against Goliath securing the victory for Israel and the glory for his God.
So how does this relate to us today? We are all tempted shoulder our burdens in our own strength: a health scare, an unanswered prayer, a tough parenting decision and in those moments it seems like we standing alone facing an intimidating giant. We are tempted to become overwhelmed and run away in defeat, “This burden is too big for me! All I have is a sling and a few stones when I need an army!”
But through the life of David and through His Word God reminds us, “You have me. You have my power. You have the armor of God. You have the sword of the spirit, which is my word. You know the end of the story. The victory is mine. You can’t lose. I’ve fully equipped you to face the giants I’ve allowed into your life. Your lack of importance, your shepherd status, your small strength, and stature are designed to make much of me. Your weakness is my strength. Your battles declare my ultimate victory. I have chosen you out of the pasture to show my glory.”
When we’re facing the impossible, let’s cling to the promise from God’s Word that He is with us and He will never leave us.
I am the Lord, and I go before you and will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8.)
