July 17, 2020 – Click here to listen
I’ve heard many of my friends expressing worry that Donald Trump might not get reelected and that if Biden wins radical leftwing socialists will destroy our country in short order, beginning the day after the election. Abortion, freedom of religion, military defense, police being defunded and disbanded, increased taxes and recession, open borders, shutting down the energy sector are issues that are causing many “thinking people” to get ulcers.
I suppose when you look at the mainstream and social media controlled by Democrats, activist celebrities, and lunatics like George Soros, Bernie Sanders, Chuck Schumer, AOC, Nancy Pelosi dominating everything we hear or see in the news it is understandable that folks are concerned. It looks like a classic David and Goliath scenario.
In my Bible study this morning I was studying the 17th chapter of Samuel and read about the epic battle between good and evil. The godless pagan philistines represented by Goliath on one side and Israel represented by the shepherd David on the other.
David ends up miraculously slaying the giant warrior Goliath, who stood 8-10 feet tall, with a well-placed stone to the forehead slung out of his slingshot. Goliath’s armor, (mail), and helmet weighed approximately 200 pounds and just the tip of his spear weighed some 15-20 pounds. This dude had to weigh close to 400 pounds and had been brought up fighting since his youth. I’m sure that most who witnessed this fight thought that when David faced off with this giant, he looked like a skinny little runt shepherd boy who weighed in at probably 150 pounds soaking wet. Las Vegas oddsmakers probably wouldn’t even have set odds because it was such a lopsided fight.
This, however, was the victory of the living God of Israel and though he was brave and enraged at Goliath’s cursing God, the accomplishment cannot be attributed solely to the youngster. Anyone who has read the Old Testament is aware that God has done this sort of thing many times before, not the least of which was delivering His people out of bondage from the most powerful army and nation on earth, Egypt, using faithful Moses carrying nothing but a wooden staff.
David got his courage from his faith and God rewarded him with the great victory and this set the stage for his ultimately taking over from Saul as king. David saw Goliath as a mortal flawed human being defying God, and he knew that Almighty God was with him . . . He was trying to convince King Saul to allow him to fight him and told the king that when he was herding sheep that . . . “The LORD saved me from the paw of the lion. He saved me from the paw of the bear. And he’ll save me from the powerful hand of this Philistine too.”
Saul said to David, “Go. And may the LORD be with you.”
My Bible study partner wrote, “How often do we see our problems as insurmountable, which often, from a human perspective, seems to be the case? And how often do we really place our trust in God, and have faith? David clearly was strong in his faith, I’m not sure how many of us would have taken on Goliath . . .”
David however, moved ahead with confidence that almighty God would give him the victory. And that My friends is genuine FAITH . . .
I don’t know what your Goliath is today, but a lesson could be learned about believing in God and having unswerving faith that He will deliver you. That includes this very important election. It is vitally important however, that we understand that David didn’t just expect God to deliver the head of Goliath to him. He had to do his part and lop it off himself. So must we, including getting out and voting for Trump.
1 Samuel 17:45
“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with 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 defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand.”
Have a great weekend and go to church this Sunday!