"run to the battle" pt. 2

"David said to Saul "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine, your servant will go and fight him." Saul replied,"You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from it's mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by it's 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 delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, " Go, and the Lord be with you."

1 Samuel 17: 32-37 (NIV)

"faithless and fearful to,

faithful and fearless"

In the last post, we saw how Saul's life without the Lord, lead to a depraved state of mind, earmarked by fear, anger, jealousy, and indecision. Goliath, the imposing giant, intimidated Saul, and all the Israelites, causing fear in their hearts. This gradual apathy toward the Word of God, brought them to this fearful, and faithless condition. I shared how life's situations can , sometimes seem to be intimidating, to the natural mind. Satan, the father of lies, the great pretender, the man of perdition, preys on our natural fears, trying to rob us of our Faith. Also, it was pointed out, that when we humble ourselves, submit to God and resist the devil, that he will flee from us, as the book of James states.

In today's passage we see the example,in David, of someone being diligent in growing in Faith and Grace. We see in the verses, preceding this weeks passage, that David also heard the taunts and arrogance of Goliath. David doesn't shrink back in fear, as those around him, but questions "who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" His own brother Eliab, becomes irate, accusing him of being arrogant, and having a wicked heart. But David didn't get disheartened, but turned and asked someone else, his questions.

When people, even Christians, look at situations without eyes of Faith, it can make our position seem overwhelming. The longer we look at our situations in the natural, and don't seek the Lord's solution, or worse yet, don't see and act on His solution, we also can become fearful, disheartened, or angry. Even angry with God. Faithless.

In David we see, someone faced with the same situation, the same daunting circumstances as those around him, not giving in to the fear and indecision of Saul and the Israelites. He shows himself fearless, in encouraging Saul and Israel, not to lose heart, he will fight the giant. When told he was not able to fight him, being only a boy, he proclaims that the Lord will deliver him from the Philistine, as He did from the lion and the bear in the past. He shows himself Faithful, to defend against those who would defy and mock, the armies of the Living God. A boy, against a giant, doesn't make sense to the natural mind. But even Saul, in his spiritual state, recognized, that the Lord was with David.

In our present times, we are faced with trials, and circumstances, every day that affects our Faith. Current world events, that impact our daily life, either directly or indirectly, financial problems, medical issues, relational conflict, spiritual and emotional struggles, all are tests for our Faith, to be strengthened, for the next battle. David understood this, knowing that the lion and bear, were tests of his Faith, strengthening his Faith for Goliath. Also, preparing and establishing him as a leader. When we understand this , as David did, our Faith will see situations, as opportunities for the Lord to be glorified, for trials to be turned into triumph, tests into testimonies. A refining fire. If we trust in the Lord, who is Faithful to strengthen us, and protect us from evil (2 Thes. 3:3), we also can stand as David, in the midst of adversity, "Faithful and Fearless".