Slingshot and Stones

Then he 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.

Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him.He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.“Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!”

David said to the Philistine, “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. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.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.”

1 Samuel 17:40-47

 David used five smooth pebbles from a stream to defeat Goliath. Think about the pebbles in your life - those small moments, words, or resources that we tend to overlook and underestimate. The same pebbles you pay no mind to while traveling the road of life may be the very tools that empower you to defeat your enemies. Do not despise the resources you have available to you for fear they are incapable agents against the weapons of your opponents. When God sends us into battle, we have to stand confident in knowing we are not alone. Romans 8:31 tells us ".........if God is for us then who can be against us?" Use the word of God as a stone and throw it at the enemy. And if nothing else, the name of Jesus is the best weapon you have. For at the name of Jesus, demons tremble and giants fall. Be encouraged for the I AM, is with you.

Be Yourself

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he 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.

1 Samuel 17:38-40

We must remember that we can not be anyone else but who God has called us to be.

When we try to be someone we are not we are short changing ourselves because we are limiting our capabilities and decreasing our possibilities.

The Glory of God

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

1 Samuel 17:34-37

When faced with opposition and a seemingly impossible victory, pause for a moment and think back to the times that Jesus saved you before. When David was told that he was not old enough to defeat the giant, he recalled previous battles in which Lord kept him. This gave him the assurance that God would again bring him out victoriously. 

For every new battle that presents itself, we can confidently claim victory before it even begins. How is this possible? Because God would never allow us to enter a battle that He did not trust and know we could conquer. For every victory we win in Jesus' name, we are elevated and our minds are transformed. It is then that we begin to concern ourselves no longer with the problem at hand. Instead, we focus on the ONE who has already declared us victorious in Jesus' name. As we transform our minds. we begin to think and see more and more as our Father thinks and sees.

2 Corinthians 2:18 tells us, 

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

Glory is defined as admiration, adoration, beauty, splendor, magnificence, honor, and majesty. And each time God brings us through a struggle, He reveals more of His glory to us. When I am faced with an "impossibility", I think back to a time when my faith was tested in the past, and I remember how God showed up and the Glory of God was revealed. In fact, the very first time I really understood God's love for me was when He revealed His glory to me. The majesty of who He Is was so captivating, overwhelming, and powerful at that moment that I was unable to articulate the fullness of the experience. Suddenly, my issues didn't seem as large and strong as they once did. I just knew that Jesus must certainly love me to allow me to feel what I felt and see Him the way I did. I ponder that moment and keep it as a testament of victory any time that I am faced with difficulty. Thanks be to God! It always puts into perspective just how small my situation, problem, or giant is to JESUS.

Obedience

One day Jesse said to David, “Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread, and carry them quickly to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring back a report on how they are doing.”

1 Samuel 17:11-13

David was obedient to what his father told him to do, which lead him to a victory that began his journey to King. What if we were obedient to our Father, Jesus when he tells us to move, go, or stand still? What if we didn't allow our own frustrations and selfish agendas to keep us from being obedient? I know that sometimes when God gives us instruction we may not understand it's purpose, but that's when we must rely on our faith in God and strength in the Lord to be obedient. Your faith will give you peace and your strength in the Lord will give you endurance to finish the journey. Romans 8:28 says"for all things work together for the good of them who love God and are called according to His purpose." We must remember, we have no control over our lives, so why not put your trust in the ONE who has control over everything and has already promised us, through His Word that all things will work for our good. So no matter what lets choose to relentlessly be obedient to our Father.

Master Your Field!

Then Samuel asked, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied. “But he’s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.”

“Send for him at once,” Samuel said. “We will not sit down to eat until he arrives.”

So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.

And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”

So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. Then Samuel returned to Ramah.

1 Samuel 16:11-13

David was amongst the least of them who wouldn't have been considered as a candidate to be anointed, yet God had other plans. Just like many of us, we do not appear to be what it is desired for the position, however we have to remember that God has the final say. While we are waiting on our time we have to continue to work just as David did until the time comes for us to be elevated. I heard a minister once term David's continual work ethic as "Mastering his field." because to master something is to build skills, build proficiency, build character, and exhibit continue growth. While the others were inside David was out in the fields working, and just like David we have to Master our fields so that we can be well prepared and justified of why we are chosen. This message can apply to so many areas in our lives, whether it's in our business, our marriage, our ministry, or our education, just to name a few. Do not worry yourself with trying to be elevated it will come in God's time. In the meantime Master Your  Field!

Kountze Cheerleaders of Faith

In the news this week were the varsity cheerleaders in Kountze, Texas of Kountze High School who put scriptures on their signs and banners encouraging their football team to go for the victory. This act of faith has sent parents and school board officials into a frenzy, causing an unnecessary battle. Being that this issue is so minor, I resolve to believe that the Christian faith is really what's being challenged.

Banners and signs are not forcing personal religion and beliefs on anyone it is just an outward expression of encouragement of an individuals beliefs. Which is no different from Muslims wearing the 'Hijab, or  Jewish men wearing the yarmulke. Head gear is against school uniform in most schools however we allow this headdress because of their religious values. Do we challenge this exception? No, because we know that their personal beliefs do not effect my personal beliefs.

What if the fans in the stadium seats brought personal signs with scripture on them, encouraging the team, would that be a problem also? Lets pray for the Cheerleaders and their strength to keep fighting the good fight because through it all the battle is not theirs it is the Lord's.

What do you think?

YET HE STILL CALLED HER NAME!

This evening I was speaking to a young lady and she was so upset and distraught about the decisions she has made thus far in her life that she would not allow herself to forgive herself. She remained in her own agony, shame, guilt, and defeat, living a miserable life. As we prayed her cries communicated the pain and the hurt that is rooted so deep down in her that even words couldn't articulate. Its was if she bottled up all this hurt over the years only opening the lid to receive more and more hurt and closed it to healing and love. Unfortunately this is the same for so many people in the world.

We are living amongst a people who are so hurt and numb to the pain that they never confront the pain which leads to continued bad decisions and results of more hurt and pain. This cycle delivers them into a bondage that blocks them from receiving truth and love.

As we continued in prayer God gave me some words to encourage her with. I let her know that God was there when she was child and people did wrong to her. He was there when she saw things her eyes shouldn't of been exposed to. He was there when she made the bad choices she made. YET HE STILL CALLED HER NAME! He is the same God He was then as He is now. He destined her even though He knew the turns and curves she would take on her journey. YET HE STILL CALLED HER NAME!

Through all of that God kept her in His safety, hiding her, preserving her, and protecting her.