today's devotional
It's the legendary story of an impossible battle. A nine-foot giant of a man named Goliath is pitted again a puny, ill-equipped shepherd boy named David. You know the ending, so the outcome easily overshadows the uncertainty of the unfolding drama. But, in the moment, all odds were on the heavily-armored towering giant who cast a literal and figurative menacing shadow over the people of God.
In the face of incredible odds, the young shepherd boy named David outrageously asserted, "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:46-47)
Lest we think an overly-confident young man somehow beat the odds - and a towering enemy - his confidence was not in himself, but in the God he knew and served. The battle was not for personal prestige and fame, but for the reputation and honor of Yahweh God. The victory would be a lasting tribute to the Creator Father Who alone is infinitely mighty.
From the historic record of this legendary battle comes a timeless lesson and truth: "the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands." Consider this amazing story: what are the chances of one small stone striking a man in exactly the right place in his forehead with enough force to deliver a lethal blow? The odds are astronomical from a human standpoint, but this was a battle not to be viewed in human terms. Every detail was orchestrated by Almighty God.
Goliaths abound even today. Our menacing Goliaths cast a shadow over us in the form of serious illness ... financial peril ... faith crisis ... and family conflict, to name a few. These towering giants can easily reduce us to quivering fear and doubt, unless faith rises up with godly confidence.
The story of David and Goliath is historic fact. The biblical narrative, however, isn't just there for interesting reading, or an engaging Sunday School story. It is the legacy of faith that is every bit as much available to us today as it was to David then. So, the question before us is: what 'Goliaths' are in our pathway today that our Father wishes to conquer for us, for His fame and name? If it's about personal reputation and gain, we've got it all wrong. But, if the victory has a clear pathway to His glory and honor, let faith give rise to confidence in the face of seemingly-impossible battles.
Faith, we are told, is the "conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11.1). May we see behind the battle lines of today's conflicts, to the God Who bring overwhelming victory.
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
In the face of incredible odds, the young shepherd boy named David outrageously asserted, "This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands." (1 Samuel 17:46-47)
Lest we think an overly-confident young man somehow beat the odds - and a towering enemy - his confidence was not in himself, but in the God he knew and served. The battle was not for personal prestige and fame, but for the reputation and honor of Yahweh God. The victory would be a lasting tribute to the Creator Father Who alone is infinitely mighty.
From the historic record of this legendary battle comes a timeless lesson and truth: "the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands." Consider this amazing story: what are the chances of one small stone striking a man in exactly the right place in his forehead with enough force to deliver a lethal blow? The odds are astronomical from a human standpoint, but this was a battle not to be viewed in human terms. Every detail was orchestrated by Almighty God.
Goliaths abound even today. Our menacing Goliaths cast a shadow over us in the form of serious illness ... financial peril ... faith crisis ... and family conflict, to name a few. These towering giants can easily reduce us to quivering fear and doubt, unless faith rises up with godly confidence.
The story of David and Goliath is historic fact. The biblical narrative, however, isn't just there for interesting reading, or an engaging Sunday School story. It is the legacy of faith that is every bit as much available to us today as it was to David then. So, the question before us is: what 'Goliaths' are in our pathway today that our Father wishes to conquer for us, for His fame and name? If it's about personal reputation and gain, we've got it all wrong. But, if the victory has a clear pathway to His glory and honor, let faith give rise to confidence in the face of seemingly-impossible battles.
Faith, we are told, is the "conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11.1). May we see behind the battle lines of today's conflicts, to the God Who bring overwhelming victory.
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
posted by steve @ 8:56 AM
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