Inspirational Insights: My God’s big enough. Is yours?
1 Samuel 17:47, “Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands.”
Who, or what, do you treasure most in your life? Is it your family, food, clothing, success, money, sports? We all seem to have something that we get so attached to that if we were to lose it, we would think our life would just be ruined.
What keeps people out of church? Sleeping late, don’t want to miss the kick-off of the big game, or is it that we just have “more important” things to do.
No matter what we “love” it cannot be loved more than the love that God gives to us. It took me a long time to realize that and, even now, I can’t completely grasp the fullness of God’s agape love.
David, as a young boy realized that and knew that God was the biggest part of his life. He knew that his God was bigger than anything…especially a big loud-mouthed Philistine!
The Israelites and Philistines were at a stand-still battle in the Valley of Elah. David’s father, Jesse, sent David out to the battle field to take supplies to his brothers and to find out how they were doing. As he approached the area he heard this 9’ behemoth of a Philistine, called Goliath, cursing and challenging the Israelites and mocking his God. David was infuriated!
While the Israelites were afraid and ran from Goliath, David’s trust in his God made him run toward him. This giant of a man felt himself to be invincible, but David knew that he had someone on his side that was more invincible. Goliath was bigger than David but God was bigger than Goliath.
Here was a boy that was probably around 5’ tall and probably weighed no more than 120 lbs., soaking wet, volunteering to fight against Goliath with only a slingshot. He was probably too young to use an actual weapon so God turned that slingshot into the only weapon David needed.
Goliath laid down the challenge for anyone to take him on. 1 Samuel 17:9-10, “…Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants”.
David refused armor of any kind. He picked up 5 stones for his slingshot and proceeded to walk out to face this giant of a man. As David approached him, Goliath laughed at David and said, “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?”
Goliath was covered in armor from head to toe, except for one little spot.
David took out a stone from his bag and put it in his slingshot. He slung it and struck the Philistine in the one place his armor didn’t cover…his forehead. Goliath fell dead on his face to the ground. The Philistine’s were in shock and awe!
Not only was David’s God bigger than Goliath, but He’s got a pretty good aim too.
J. B. Phillips, in his book entitled “Your God is Too Small”, says, “We have not only to be impressed by the “size” and unlimited power of God, we have to be moved to genuine admiration, respect, and affection, if we are ever to worship Him”.
If you serve the God of the Bible then yes…your God is just as big as mine and He’ll be there when our giant problems challenge us.
Answer from last week: A worm. (Jonah 4:7)
This week’s question: During the reign of what three kings did Micah prophesy? (Micah 1:1)
(Nancy Stoppe of Jenners is affiliated with Jenner Township Baptist Church, Boswell. She can be contacted at nms@lceci.com.)