Never the Underdog

Greetings,

I like underdog stories.  Among my favorite are Rudy and Braveheart. There’s just something about facing insurmountable odds and winning that inspires me.  That is why the story of David in the Bible is my all-time favorite tale of triumph!

David was a peach-fuzz faced teenager when he showed up with sandwiches for his hungry brothers who were on the war front fighting against the Philistines, Israel’s enemy.  That’s where he heard Goliath, a “giant of a man” who was also the Philistine champion, taunting the Israeli army.  The Israeli army was “greatly afraid.” But David was asking: “Who is this guy? Who does he think he is “taunting and defying the armies of the living God?”  And then he volunteered to fight the giant.

Initially, David was dismissed. “You’re too young!” “You can never win against this mighty warrior!” “You don’t have a chance!” You’re just a boy; he’s a man of war!”

Actually, David was a young man of great courage. “He chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and with his slingshot in hand, approached the Philistine.”

Goliath was greatly insulted that out of an entire army of men, someone who was “little more than a boy” would dare stand up to him, so “he cursed David by his gods.”

David’s reply is epic and one whose truth we can all treasure in our hearts: “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, Whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will hand you over to me...for the battle is the Lord’s and He will hand you over to us.”

Four Bible verses later, Goliath was dead – one little smooth stone flew straight from David’s slingshot into the middle of his forehead  -  the Israeli army surged forth to victory, and you and I are reminded that when God is on our side, we are never the underdogs.

What giant are you facing? It’s no match for our LORD!

Prayer: Dear Lord, many giants come against us with swords of fear and spears of worry. Give us courage! Right now, in Your mighty name, we ask You to hand us the victory over our struggles. The battle belongs to You.  We arm ourselves with prayer and trust you for the victory. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.

Aim Your Slingshot!

Thursday greetings~

David has been such an inspiration to us, and today we will wrap it up with a powerful reminder:

Aim your slingshot at the giants in your life because with God on your side, the giants will fall!

Don’t aim your frustration, fears, doubts, powers of persuasion, or anger.  Aim your slingshot, and by slingshot I mean prayer.  Look what that little slingshot did against a nine foot nine inch monster.  The same that having a little conversation with God can do – it will destroy your enemy and give you victory! 

What are you facing?

Here are a few messes my friends are dealing with right now:

Separation,

Disease,

Unemployment,

Rebellious Child,

Unhappiness,

Anxiety,

Discouragement…

Endless list, perhaps, but then again, I have also said that God’s ability and desire to help us is endless as well!

Psalm 59:9-10 “You are my strength, I watch for You; You, God, are my fortress, my God on Whom I can rely. The God who loves me will help me; God will enable me to triumph over my enemies.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, You are our strength.  You are our fortress. Thank You that we can rely on You.  You are reliable, You are trustworthy, You love us, and You are the One Who gives us the ability to triumph over our enemies!  Give it to us now, in Jesus’ name, AMEN~

No Such Thing as a Fair Fight~

Ok, I’ll admit it, I watch The Celebrity Apprentice.  I especially enjoy watching someone step up to the plate and say they will be Project Manager.  It’s a leadership role that is loaded with responsibility; more often than not, if the Project Manager’s team loses the task, he or she is the one who gets fired.  At the beginning of each episode, after the task is explained, Mr. Trump asks each team who will lead them.  Sometimes a person volunteers, and when that happens, everyone else on the team is relieved and Mr. Trump will say, “Ok. Get out of here!”

This is what happened in David’s case.  After he confidently states his credentials, King Saul had only one reasonable response: "All right, go ahead," he said. "And may the LORD be with you!" (1 Samuel 17:37).

And without further adieu, David “took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag, and with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.” (v.40)

It is kind of laughable that someone would go confront a man over nine feet tall with five stones and a slingshot, but 1 Corinthians 1:27 explains that “God chooses what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame.”  

Goliath’s reaction shows he was insulted.  “He looked at David and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.  ‘Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks? Come here and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” (vs 42-44).

Goliath was looking for an actual fight; he was not expecting this peach-fuzzed face to be much of a challenge.  The truth is both these men were champions in their own right, and to the naked eye, Goliath seemed to have the upper hand.  But there was one glaring enormous difference between them, and I am not talking about their size: “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 I’ll strike you down and cut off your head.  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.” (vs 45-47). 

When God is on our side, there is no such thing as a fair fight.  Nothing and no one can come even remotely close to out powering our Lord.  David against Goliath? Goliath wins.  David, as a humble servant who allows God to fight through him against Goliath? Goliath is going down!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, when we face the messes of life alone, we will lose.  But with You, the Lord Almighty on our side, with You fighting the battle, we have victory!  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!

The Teeth of the Lion, The Claws of the Bear, and Philistines~

1 Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Him Who gives me strength.”

Last time we checked, David the shepherd boy had volunteered to fight the giant.  King Saul tried to dissuade him, reminding him that Goliath had been a “warrior” since his youth, but “David persisted.”   He was only a boy but he was a prepared one; even though his title was shepherd and not warrior, David had confronted some things in his past that equipped him to face Goliath. 

I Samuel 17: 34-37 David said, “I’ve been a shepherd, tending sheep for my father. Whenever a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I’d go after it, knock it down, and rescue the lamb. If it turned on me, I’d grab it by the throat, wring its neck, and kill it. Lion or bear, it made no difference—I killed it. And I’ll do the same to this Philistine pig who is taunting the troops of God-Alive.  God, who delivered me from the teeth of the lion and the claws of the bear, will deliver me from this Philistine.”

Glory hallelujah!  That’s an inspiring response if ever I have heard one! David is so confident because he has a proven track record with God. 

A few years ago I had a friend whose son was being tested for testicular cancer.  She was so calm that it actually unnerved me.  I flat out asked her one day how she could have so much peace, and her response both blessed me and made me feel like a faithless ding dong.  “Yenise, God has done so much for me already that I know He will help me no matter what the diagnosis is.”  Her son, praise God, DID NOT have cancer, but that conversation has stuck with me all these years, and so I ask: Has God ever delivered us from something before?  YES YES YES HE HAS, which is why, like David, and like my friend, we can face any threats that come our way.      

Notice, however, that while David did the wringing and killing, he credits God with being the One who delivered him.  Other versions of the Bible say, “God rescued me,” and “God saved me.  David also credits God for the positive outcome he expects when he goes out to fight Goliath. 

There are things we have to do, and some of those things include facing lions, bears, and Philistines.  But God is with us each step of the way, and He will deliver, rescue, and save us.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You are a Deliverer, a Rescuer, and a Savior.  We face so many things in our lives, but You equip us to handle it all. The teeth of the lion the claws of the bear, and Philistines are no match for us with You on our side! In Jesus’ name, AMEN~  

Leo~

2 Chronicles 14:11 "Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God, 'O LORD, no one but You can help the powerless against the mighty! Help us, O LORD our God, for we trust in You alone. It is in Your name that we have come against this vast horde.'"

We recently learned about Asa and how a bigger, greater, stronger army was headed in his direction. Asa knew he was outmatched and outnumbered before he even lifted a finger to fight. And he was wise because the first thing he did was call on the Lord by simply saying, "Help!"

He didn't try to fight them off first then retreat and pray. He knew he was up against a force mightier then he, and he did not hesitate to acknowledge he needed God's help.

How might this biblical story translate into today?

Well, I have a colleague whom I will call Leo. He was recently diagnosed with kidney cancer, and of course, he is freaking out. But because we live in a great and free nation and because I am a little pushy--just a little--I asked Leo if we could pray for him; we meaning all my other co-workers and me. I am proud to say that EVERYONE showed up when I invited them, and we all gathered last Monday in the conference room and made a prayer circle around Leo, which means we all crowded around him and put our hands on him. In keeping with biblical guidelines, we all agreed we were seeking a miracle of healing and supernatural guidance for this "vast horde" Leo was facing. Leo had never been the center of attention in a manner such as this, but through grateful tears he thanked us for our prayers. It was truly a holy moment.

As soon as God was invited, He showed up. One of Leo's bosses who has connections at a local hospital, set up an appointment with a specialist for February 18. It was cancelled for February 6th. That's right. They moved it up. And just yesterday, they cancelled again and said they would see him THIS MORNING! Leo loves this new doctor, and not less than five minutes ago Leo called and said, "My faith is stronger, and I am at peace." Wowie Zowie!

Excuse me while I do an extra-long version of my happy dance!

I will provide updates on Leo, but think about the "vast horde" you are facing. The giant. The insurmountable odds. It can be physical, mental, emotional, financial, relational, spiritual, educational...It doesn't matter what it is, our first line of defense is to get God involved.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Help! We need You every second of every day. Guide us in the right direction, and thank You that You care about every single details of our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen~