Read 1 Samuel 17 – It’s too long to post here.
It’s the story of David and Goliath. See
if you notice details that you didn’t know about before. I’ll be here when you come back.
This story has been used to
illustrate how any battle can be won with the Lord’s help for ages. This is a true and worthy “moral” of the
story, but there’s so much more here.
Malcolm Gladwell actually wrote a whole book based on this story with a
really original title, David and Goliath. His angle on this story is that David simply
saw this situation differently than everyone else and that is the foundation
for his victory. Goliath was big and
slow; David was small and fast. Goliath
was pretty much impervious to traditional weapons, so David chose a sling. David was just as skilled at using the sling
as Goliath was with a spear. (For a demonstration of how deadly a sling could
be, go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWHV2WYdfTI
) Gladwell, and other Biblical scholars,
believe David knew all this and saw Goliath as the underdog - hence, his
bravado with Saul about “taking care of this Philistine.”
Some will argue, “but this takes
God out of the equation.” I say,
“How?” Why would God choose David, a
shepherd, whose primary weapon is a sling, to become the leader of Israel. Because Israel would need a leader who saw
the world differently than most. When
the masses were fearful, David was confident.
When all the experts saw disadvantages, David saw advantages. God prepared David’s vision and skills to match
the Goliath moment perfectly. This way
of looking at this story is way more powerful and faith-inspiring to me than a
“magical shot” with a smooth stone.
This is why people who soon be
shouting, “Saul has killed his thousands, David his ten thousands.” It was clear to the people that God had
chosen him, prepared him, and was blessing his leadership. This is what they wanted when they asked
Samuel for a King. However, David’s
adversity was just beginning. We pick up with that tomorrow.
Prayer: God you have
chosen me, prepared me, and will bless me in the work you have called me to
do. Give me David’s brand of confidence
to do that work.
Prayer Focus: Pray
for God’s leadership of our leaders as they face the issues of our day.
Song: Petra – The
Battle Belongs to the Lord
No comments:
Post a Comment