Paris and David

I was in New York last week for my birthday.

I’ll post more on that later.

It was in New York that we heard about the terrorist attacks on Paris.

SOURCE

Back home, I woke up in the middle of the night Sunday with David and Goliath on my mind.

It was still on my mind the next morning so I decided to read the story again.

Young David didn’t stand before fully-grown Goliath 

stronger than him. 

He most certainly didn’t stand before Goliath bigger than him. 

(He was over 9 feet tall!)

He didn’t stand before Goliath richer or smarter than him. 

And he didn’t even stand before Goliath more protected than him.

(His armor weighed over 126 pounds!)

When David put on King Saul’s armor, 

he could barely move, it was so heavy.

So he took it off.

What David did,

IN FRONT OF GOLIATH 

and the entire Philistine army, 

was tell him exactly how it was going to play out:

“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 saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

--1 Samuel 17:46-47

David expressed his faith to Goliath in the most ultimate smack talk.

But he spoke it with confidence in his God, 

not his own strength.

He spoke it with complete faith in his God,

not his own sword or spear.

You see, the ENTIRE Philistine army put their faith in one giant man.

David put his faith in the creator of the universe.

The maker of not only himself 

but the stone that brought Goliath down.

It puts what is happening in the world in perspective for me.

We can’t look to one man to save us, defend us, protect us.

But we can’t stand in the shadows afraid.

We have a God who has ALREADY won this battle.

Whether you believe in God or not, EVIL exists.

But it does. not. win. 

I’ve read the end of the story, 

it’s good--

check it out.

I want to be a David in response to ISIS.

They want to kill those who believe what I believe.

I’m not going to cower in fear when the giant comes out to intimidate.

I’m certainly not going to try to be stronger, 

bigger, 

richer, 

smarter 

or more protected.

I’m simply going to rest in the peace of 

how it’s going to play out:

“When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth--Gog and Magog--to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever."

--Revelation 20:7-10