Tag Archives: Goliath

Listen to God’s Truth

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Thinking about David again this morning …

Many of us are familiar with his encounter with the Philistine giant, Goliath. We remember the Israelite army quaking and shaking; fleeing from battle as Goliath mocked the Living Sovereign God. We remember David stepping up and stepping out to face the nine-foot, nine-inch man the others ran from.

 

We remember the Israelites allowed their fear to shut their eyes and ears to God’s truth of who HE is, while David allowed his faith to open his eyes and ears to God’s truth of who HE is.

 

As I re-read this story I saw the Israelites looked at the giant and found their strength lacking. David looked at God and found more than enough strength to conquer the one who towered over him.

The Israelite army heard Goliath’s voice thunder across the valley, were afraid, and shrunk back from the battle before them. David heard God’s voice in reply and courageously ran to meet the challenge.

Our battles may not be of gigantic proportions like David’s, but then again, they might be.

 

We know Satan is alive and well, taunting God’s people day and night. Just like Goliath. He mocks the Living God. Inflicting pain and hurt wherever he can. Sometimes we see the nine-foot, nine-inch giant and head for the hills. Sometimes we see God’s hand in ours and head into the fight in his power and strength.

Sometimes we listen to the devil’s convincing voice and doubt God’s presence. Or his love. Sometimes we turn our ears to the Lord and his peace fills us in the midst of the chaos that surrounds us.

As with David and the Israelites, the choice is ours. We can believe the devil’s lies and half-truths, or we can believe God’s truth that he is with us, empowering us to fight every battle we face large and small.

We trust in the name of the Lord our God. Amen?

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David answered, “You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. This very day the Lord will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God,  and everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

I wish you well.

Sandy

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A Man After God’s Own Heart

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By Sandy Kirby Quandt

Sheep. Sinner. Saved.

King David and I have several things in common. We both have been around sheep. I was the Queen of the Sheep Show in Rotorua, New Zealand, after all. We both are Jesse’s kin. My maternal grandfather’s name was Jesse. David and I both are sinners forgiven and saved by God’s undeserved mercy and grace. No further explanation necessary.

The more I study, the more I appreciate the record we have in the Bible of David’s life. We are given an honest look at the one who was called a man after God’s own heart. We are shown the good. The bad. And the ugly. The record of David’s life does not fill pages with his accomplishments, victories, psalms and leave out his shortcomings, deficits, sins. We are given the truth of who he was. A sinner saved by grace.

David didn’t set out to become a hero by slaying Goliath. He killed Goliath because the giant ridiculed Jehovah God. David did not seek the crown. God gave it to him. David did not believe himself above God’s justice. He repented of his sins and begged for the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy.

It seems David wanted to please God. It seems he was human and sometimes failed. It seems there were times when he messed up his life and the lives of others. It seems he had a lot in common with us.

David believed in a God who was bigger than the sum of his sins. He believed in a God of redemption. He believed in a God of mercy and forgiveness.

Look through the Psalms David penned and you will see David believed during his highest highs and lowest lows, whatever his state in life, it didn’t matter much if his heart wasn’t right with God. He wanted to be the man God wanted him to be. He was a man who got back up when he fell.

David was a man who wanted a heart like God’s heart.

I want my heart to look like God’s heart, too, don’t you?

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What happiness for those whose guilt has been forgiven! What joys when sins are covered over! What relief for those who have confessed their sins and God has cleared their record. There was a time when I wouldn’t admit what a sinner I was. But my dishonesty made me miserable and filled my days with frustration. All day and all night your hand was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water on a sunny day until I finally admitted all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess them to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Psalm 32:1-5 (TLB)

I wish you well.

Sandy

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