September 14, 1966
Jocie Brooke here reporting from Hollyhill, Kentucky. Dad preached yesterday about David and Goliath. I’m sure you know the story. I certainly do. I’ve been hearing it ever since I can remember in Sunday school and Bible School. But I can’t remember Dad ever actually preaching a whole sermon on it. When I asked Dad about that, he said he supposed the Lord had never told him to preach about it before. I asked him why did he think the Lord wanted him to preach it this week. He thought about that for a while and finally said he didn’t know.
“You have to trust what the Lord lays on your heart,” he said. “I don’t have to know who in our church needed to hear about David and his faith. But somebody who heard the sermon must have some giants to slay. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was you. Maybe it was somebody else. That’s the Lord’s business. My business is to listen and follow where he leads me in the Scripture. This week it was to the story of David and Goliath.”
I guess that got me to thinking. Could it have been me the Lord wanted to hear that story? I’ve already heard it who knows how many times, but Dad says the Scripture can speak fresh to us every time we read it. That the Word of the Lord is powerful. So do I have a giant to kill? I don’t think so. At least not now. Dad also says the seed of a Bible story can be planted in your head and then days, weeks, even years later it can be there just when you need it.
Whoever needed the story, I liked hearing it again. A kid going up against a giant while everybody else is afraid to even look at him. David’s big brothers are hiding out way back from Goliath who comes out spouting his challenge. But not just them. The whole army is hiding from Goliath. Nobody wants to go out and fight him one on one. Nobody until David shows up bringing his big brothers some food from home. David can’t believe his ears and eyes when all the soldiers act afraid of Goliath. He said they shouldn’t be letting this man speak bad about the armies of the people of the living God. Of course, his big brothers told him to be quiet and not in a nice way either.
I don’t have any brothers, but I’ve seen how brothers can be to their little brothers at school. Some brothers are the sweetest ever. Some brothers are always fussing at their little brothers and always thinking they’re too little to do anything. That must have been the kind of brothers David had. The fussing kind. He must not have told them about the lion and bear he killed protecting the family’s sheep. Or maybe he did and they didn’t believe him.
But then King Saul hears about David wanting to go out against Goliath. He tells him he’s too young. So David tells the king about killing the lion and the bear. He said he rescued the lambs right from the bear’s and lion’s mouths and he would take care of this Philistine the same way. I guess he convinced the king, because King Saul gives him his own armor and sword. David couldn’t even walk in it. So he took it off and went out to meet the giant with his slingshot and five smooth stones.
Now here’s where Dad told something about that slingshot that I hadn’t ever heard before. I’ve been reading through the Bible, but sometimes everything I read doesn’t stick. But Dad said that in Judges 20: 16 during a bad war time in Israel, the Scripture says there were seven hundred select men among the Benjamites who were left-handed and that every one of them could sling a stone at a hair’s breadth and not miss. Hit targets no bigger than a hair! So it must have been the same with David. He could use a slingshot and make the stone go exactly where he wanted it to go. So when Goliath laughed at the sight of him going out to fight him, David was ready. Not only with his skill but with his faith that the Lord would make him victorious. And he did. One stone was all David needed to bring down Goliath.
I can’t shoot a slingshot, but I can depend on the Lord if I do ever need to be a giant killer. He’ll give me the weapons I need as long as I face up to whatever it is and don’t try to hide or run away.
Have you ever needed to be a giant killer?
Comments 4
The verse in John, Chapter 6, verse 37 comes to mind concerning Christians burning in the ‘fire’ and gnashing of teeth and weeping. My Bible says that true Christians will not suffer in the Judgement because they are covered and protected from that wrath of God, through His Grace and the blood of Jesus Christ.
Perhaps what sister Nancy is alluding to is the difference between a true Christian and one who claims to be a Christian. One I like to refer to as the Church-Time Christian. All the rest of Sunday and the following week, there is no discernible difference between him and an unsaved soul. These are the ones who will say “Lord Lord…” but Jesus will tell the, “I never knew you…”
I believe the Bible is abundantly clear on this subject, that once the Lord has you, you are unable to actually get away. You may drift off a little now and again but he will reprimand you as you would do your own child. Just because little johnny doesn’t listen doesn’t mean you toss him in the cellar for a year. No, the good parent gives him a little swat on the fanny and corrects him but he continues to love the child, just as the Father loves us and will not cast His own child into eternal death. You may be strong willed, but after God grabs you, there is no returning to the devil. The promise of Jesus Christ in the above verse precludes your ability to even want to leave Him. No person who has been changed in their heart can leave our Lord.
Likewise, no one has the ability to come to Jesus unless he was first changed by God. John chapter 6 verse 65 shows this undeniably. First God drags you to Salvation (by changing your heart from stone to flesh) and ONLY then will you have the ability to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Please keep in mind the difference between being Saved through the Grace of God and ‘thinking’ you are saved because you decided to save yourself.
If it be the latter, you will notice that a few days from now you’ll be right back doing the wrong things with your buddies and not feeling the least bothered. Only a truly saved Christian will feel the need to repent to the Father after returning to the trough of your past.
But keep up the good fight and those trips will lesson until it will become second nature for you to avoid the pitfalls in the first place. It’s a much easier road to follow when walking with Jesus.
Author
Thanks for chiming in, King Cole. Some good Bible lessons there for Jocie. You and Nancy both talk about putting on the armor of God and waiting and watching for His leadership. We do have reason to rejoice in the love the Lord showers down on us.
That was an inspiring blog about David and Goliath. Do we have giants we need to kill? Yes!! Apathy among Christians, lukewarm Christians, worldly Christians, God is not pleased with people who call Him Lord, Lord, and do not do the things He says to do! The carnal mind is at enmity with God! Judgement will begin with Christians, WITH CHRISTIANS, and some will be saved as if by fire, some will be found to NOT have the proper wedding garment on, and will be cast out into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Oh CHRISTIANS, WAKE UP! The time is today for you to abstain from every form of evil, now is the time to stop bringing shame to the name of Jesus, today is the day to witness to others and to not be afraid! Kill the giants that are threatening to crush the Christians today. Put on the whole armor of God, and then rebuke, reprove, and exhort! Follow Jesus or repent in sorrow and beg Jesus to forgive you now. Examine yourself to see whether ye be in the faith!! It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God!
Author
Thanks, Nancy. You shared some powerful words.