What do you
tell someone who has just learned they have an aggressive form of cancer?
Do you have words for someone who just lost a job? Do you do
anything when you hear of the death of a loved one? Does it take a card shower
to provoke you into sending a few words of joy to those who celebrate?
When a
Sunday School class needs a teacher, does volunteering to lead cross your mind?
When you learn that a neighbor has a financial crisis do you reach for your
wallet? When someone needs help planting does your John Deere head that
way? When a younger Christian struggles do you, as the more mature one, offer
encouragement?
Few things
are more fun than seeing something you did not notice before…
The
Philistines had mustered their armies against Israel. Saul countered by
assembling the Israelite army. And battle lines were drawn with each army
occupying a hillside with a valley in between.
Now, the
Philistines had some really big dudes in their army. One of them was named
Goliath. He was over nine feet tall and weighed who knows how much. He
was big enough to wear a bronze coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds, carry a
spear tipped with an iron head that alone weighed 15 pounds.
As my dad
would say Goliath was “big enough to go bear hunting with a switch.”
Everyday
this mountain of a man would come out and taunt Israel. (and I paraphrase)
“Hey, why aren’t you coming out to fight? Tell you what, let’s skip the mess of
a big battle. You just send out your biggest and baddest and he and I’ll
tussle. Winner take all.”
That sounds
like a decent idea – if you are a 9’ foot giant – but to the regular Joes in
Israel’s army it didn’t sound good at all. So no one stepped forward. Day after
day, Goliath stepped forward to embarrass Israel by reissuing his challenge.
As it
happened one day a young Israelite lad named David came into the Israelite camp
as the giant was bellowing away. David was on an errand for his dad who wanted
news from his sons on the front lines. Well, David heard the giant’s challenge
and he watched as Israel cowered, issuing nervous glances to one another as if
to say, “Not me. You go!”
David was
filled with emotion – not fear – but disgust that this giant would defy God’s
army. In David’s role of tending his father’s sheep he had experienced challenges
from larger foes – fending off lions and bears that attacked to steal lambs
from the flock. So David sought permission from King Saul to fight for Israel
against the giant Philistine.
Once
permission was granted David got his weapons – a slingshot and five smooth
stones – and stepped out of the Israelite lines to face the giant. Well,
needless to say the ole giant wasn’t impressed.
(Paraphrasing
again) “Is this the best you can do? Do you come at me with a stick
because I’m just a dog!?!? Come over here boy – and I’ll feed you
to the birds!”
To that
David said, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to
you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel,
whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill
you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to
the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God
in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues
his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he
will give you to us!” 1 Samuel 17:45-47
And here is
the part of the story I hadn’t taken notice of before… As
Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. (1
Samuel 17:48)
Most people
run away from a fire – few are willing to run into one. Most run away from
those with difficult news or losses. Most pass on opportunities to encourage.
Most don’t stick their neck out to help.
If David
was one of those who run away, Goliath would probably still be standing there
today – a 3100 year old, gray headed giant with a big spear and a bigger mouth.
But David was not one of those who run away. David ran toward.
May we take
a lesson from him and become people who run toward not away. May we be people
who being empowered by Christ, inspired by the faithful, and armed with loving
hearts, reach out to those who are facing a giant.
Running
Toward,
