A while ago, I was reading the story of a little boy who, in his Bible class, was asked to identify the characters of Goliath and David. The boy identified the smaller figure as Goliath and the bigger figure as David. He was asked why. His answer was “David was the winner.” I believe there is an important lesson in his response. You can decide for yourself.
“How often do we find ourselves facing ‘giants’ in life?” The challenges we encounter, whether they take the form of unexpected hardships, long-standing illnesses, or other afflictions, should not surprise us as Christians. These “Goliaths” may attempt to intimidate and discourage us, but we must stand firm in our faith. But when it happens, let’s react with the same attitude that David did, where he did not focus on the giant, for he chose to place his faith in the Almighty God that had always been with him and on his side. David declared with courage and resolute faith when he said in 1 Samuel 12:45 (NIV), “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.”
Yes, we face many, many extremely challenging situations, but we must never forget that we are not alone; always keep in mind that the Lord will be with us. Just remember that when everyone told David he couldn’t fight Goliath, he replied that he had already fought a lion and a bear to save his father’s sheep. He confidently affirmed: “.. the Lord who rescued me from the lion and the paws of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” 1 Samuel 17:37 (NIV).
We already know the rest of the story: David took a stone from the bag he was carrying, put it in his slingshot, and threw it, striking Goliath in the forehead. Goliath fell, and when the Philistines saw their champion defeated, they fled in fear for their own sake. With God, we can accomplish the impossible. Precisely, the gospel of Luke reminds us of the promise “For with God nothing will be impossible” Luke 1:37 (NKJV).
So let us emulate the courage of David as we face our everyday living as followers of Jesus Christ, Amen!
José J. Acevedo / CBC Executive Board
