Facing the Giants

In First Samuel 17:1-54 we read about David and Goliath. Now to set up the story, the people of Israel are facing off with their dreaded enemy the Philistines. The two armies are on opposite sides of a valley. Then, the Philistine army steps apart and out comes Goliath. A huge man, nearly 10 feet tall carry 200 pounds of armament - a sword, spear, shield and armor. As Goliath approaches, he taunts the army of Israel.

Enter David, the youngest of his brothers, he is carrying supplies. David does not understand why the other soldiers are just standing around. He knows that God is with him and so, decides to confront Goliath. Goliath laughs but David is not intimidated.

David loads his slingshot, takes aim and hits Goliath right between the eyes. David then takes Goliath's sword and beheads the giant. The Philistines flee with the army of Israel in pursuit.

We face our own Goliaths everyday. So what can we learn from David?

1. Facing giants is an intimidating experience - remember, Goliath towered over David.

2. Doing battle is a lonely experience. Your Goliaths are your Goliaths. They may not be gigantic to anyone else, but they are gigantic to you. The battle is for you and God to fight - together. Friends can stand with you , but you must cross the battle line yourself.

3. Trust in God - David was calm knowing that God was with him.

4. Remember your victories- when the next battle comes, you will remember how God was with you.

Thanks to Chuck Swindoll's book titled, David: A Man of Passion and Destiny.

Lessons from Nehemiah

When the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and took many of the people captive, Nehemiah was among the captives. Nehemiah became "Cupbearer to the king" which really meant he was the king's food tester. But God gave Nehemiah another task - go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.

The task was enormous - not only were the walls destroyed, but the volunteers were unskilled in repairing stone walls, Nehemiah's enemies were all around and there was no shortage of criticism.

But Nehemiah persevered - he established some guidelines. Everyone was responsible for the section of wall directly in front of them. They made sure that they help each other. To combat the enemies, the workers held their tools in one hand and there sword in the other. Finally, they focused on their goal - to rebuild the wall. Eventually the wall was completed - to which God got all the glory.

Here are some lessons we could learn from Nehemiah (From Chuck Swindell - Nehemiah: A Model of Pioneer Determination):

1. Never let life's difficulties surprise you - problems will come.

2. Be positive - remember God is in control - focus on building the wall.

3. Fight your battles in prayer.

4. Don't do this alone - a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Temptation

After Jesus' Baptism, He was taken by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus three ways: physical (hunger), Pride (testing God) and Possessions (all these things). First Satan challenged Jesus, "If you are the Son of God." We can expect to be tempted in much the same ways. And it is important to realize that Satan will indeed challenge us - "If you are truly a Christian" or "Do you really think you can make a difference?" or "Has God really promised?"

Don't be surprised that as you make strides in your walk with Christ, that Satan will rise up and challenge you. When that happens, look to Christ and what He modeled for us - turn to Scripture. Remember, when you resist Satan, he will flee.

Love

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

The Bible shows us that love is an action. Love comes from the heart and shows care and concern for others. We love others because we know exactly who they are and we love them just the same.

God loves us not because of what we try to do or to be. God loves us because He knows exactly who we are.