7-3-2016

Good Morning All!!   

          1 Samuel 17:4; “The Philistine army’s champion came out of their camp. His name was Goliath from Gath. He was seven feet tall”.

       I sat back and listened as the youngsters were talking.  It was your typical young pre-teen talk.  They were talking about one of their opponents for the upcoming “Y” basketball tourney.  “I hear he’s 6’ 4”!” “I hear he can dunk it!” “He can’t be only 12!” They were nervous until they saw him.  He was about 5’ 10”.  He could barely get both feet off the floor at the same time; a couple of times he tripped over his own shoelaces.  Their “Goliath” wasn’t much of a Goliath.

    Goliath is one of those epic characters in the Bible.  Different translations have him from seven feet to ten feet tall.  His armor weighed in at 125 pounds and the head of his spear weighed 15 pounds.  He was the biggest, baddest man in the Bible.  He was the fear of the Israelite army.  He put down the challenge to have a man on man fight with the winner winning the war and the loser losing the war, as in servitude, high taxation, slavery; all that stuff.  Every single soldier feared him but who wouldn’t?  He was a giant of a man who could probably tear you limb from limb.

    The story of Goliath isn’t entirely about his size but it does play a part.  We all face our own “Goliath” and often, just like those young boys, he never really measures up.  Remember when you or one of your children moved up a grade and you went from sitting in one room to changing rooms?  The first time or two can be scary.  I remember in college having a class in the auditorium of a building and it took me three tries to find it.  At the start of the third pass, I was convinced I would flunk out of college and become a hobo (actually a gypsy).  There are a lot of times when we face something in our lives and it seems like a Goliath staring us in the face. 

   There are doctor’s appointments, the tax audit, the employee evaluation, the loan application, the weather, any of these can become a “Goliath” in our life if we let them.  And if we let them, the devil will make sure “Goliath” goes from 5’ 10” to over 9’ tall in a hurry.  This is what he does best; to find our worries, our fears, and blow them up entirely out of proportion.

    The answer to Goliath in the Bible was the faith of a young shepherd boy.  The answer to our “Goliath” is the exact same.  God has promised to be with us and to sustain us from the devil’s attacks.  So remember, when you see a “Goliath” God gives you a way to see it for what it truly is, just part of life.  God blesses us with the certainty that his love will always triumph in our life.  His love will conquer all.

Gracious Father, many things appear to be a “Goliath” but with your mercy, we know that they are not.  Give us the strength of faith to trust in you.  Help us to defeat our “Goliaths” as David did, by faith.  Be with those who are facing their “Goliath” now.  Give them the confidence to face it down.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret