Be A David...

I've been studying some about the story of David and Goliath from the Book of 1 Samuel. When I was in Jacksonville with Amanda Coale a couple weekends ago, I had the privilege of attending her home church, which is very different from the one I went to during middle and high school. Her pastor gave a sermon on David and Goliath. He talked about the way that our battles are not something we should shrink from; he also mentioned that often the giants in our life may not look all that big to an onlooker, but to us they might just be enormous. One of the things that struck me most is the fact that David carried five stones with him, not because he thought he would need all five for Goliath, but because Goliath had brothers. David didn't go into fight one "demon" and allow the subsequent ones to defeat him. He went prepared and never backed down. David did not go into battle alone, but with complete confidence in the strength of the Lord.
One thing that I thought about was that I don't always fight my battle with that unfailing confidence. David looked at the giant and said, "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 hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, 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 17:45-47) Today, I think confidence in the power of the Lord looks slightly different. To me, it means believing completely that my salvation was secured two thousand years ago, and no battle I fight, no struggle I endure, no sin I commit can undo what was accomplished on the cross. And that's really beautiful, even when the battle is rough and the struggles are messy, because victory was claimed for me. Truly, truly I cannot lose.

I adapted this from an FCA email:
1. Be a David . . . Courageously defend your flock against the lionsand bears of the world.
2. Be a David . . . Be willing to fight the Goliaths in life, one stone at a time.
3. Be a David . . . Be a loyal friend no matter what the situation.
4. Be a David . . . Be ready to lead, regardless of your age or status.
5. Be a David . . . Face your failures and own up to them.
6. Be a David . . . Never take forgiveness lightly or take a blessing for granted.
7. Be a David . . . Learn from your mistakes.
8. Be a David . . . Strive to develop trust and faith in your brothers and sisters in Christ, because in the battles you cannot fight on your own, they'll have your back.
9. Be a David . . . Create an unchangeable belief in God's faithfulness.
10. Be a David . . . Chase success, but pursue God's heart.