King Saul, after listening to David’s stories of his previous victories over the lion and the bear, agreed to allow David to fight Goliath. We don’t know for sure whether he was fully convinced that David was the man for the job but David was his only volunteer. Regardless, we know Saul believed David—the shepherd boy dressed in a simple tunic and armed with only a sling—needed some help. He was not outfitted like a true warrior. According to earthly wisdom, someone who was going to face a warrior as fearsome and skilled as Goliath should be equipped with the best weapons and armor available. Saul was an experienced warrior, and he was applying that experience to the current situation. He knew David needed better armor and weapons, so he dressed him in his. Continue reading “Walk your walk – God will ‘fit you out’ for the battle”
Live with your eye on past victories
When David heard Goliath’s threats and insults, a righteous indignation rose up in his chest. He knew he had to do something. Saul was less than enthusiastic about David’s idea. Essentially, he told him, “There’s no way you can fight that giant and live.” It’s not surprising that Saul would doubt David’s ability. Not only was he prone to fearing those who might outshine him, but Goliath was a formidable opponent.
David’s confidence, especially when contrasted with the fear of the experienced Israeli army, must have seemed like laughable naïveté. Saul was an experienced warrior and a war hero in his own right. Yet even he was not lining up to fight Goliath. Saul and his men were not cowards. They were simply seasoned warriors who recognized the immensity of the challenge before them. They were, in some ways, wise to avoid conflict with the giant. It is no wonder, then, that Saul immediately discounted David. Nothing on the outside of David indicated that he would have even a chance of success. Continue reading “Live with your eye on past victories”
Possessing the Kingdom – ‘just show up’
David is famous for his defeat of the giant Goliath. In the space of one day, he went from unknown shepherd boy to nationally renowned war hero. Just like that, unexpectedly, his life changed. Until this event David is that he was just like the rest of us—an average person living an average life. He had not spent years in the war academy of Israel, training as an elite warrior. He was just a normal person showing up for normal life, and one day normal life brought him an extraordinary opportunity.
Yet, we would be wrong if we thought David’s lack of military training meant he had no training at all. Normal life was, in fact, the training ground that uniquely prepared David to take down a giant no one else could. As the youngest son, David had received an unimportant job—watching over the sheep. It was a job with very little potential for promotion. Though David could have resented this assignment, it seems he instead embraced it patiently and gave it his all. In other words, he learned to serve, and he learned to be faithful with the mundane and inglorious tasks of life. Continue reading “Possessing the Kingdom – ‘just show up’”
Mission sharing 1_ Bruce Saunderson
Click on this link to watch the first of three short videos where Bruce has shared his recent experiences from Indonesia.
Beyond Waiting
It is the season of Advent in the Christian calendar! You probably know this! You probably also know also that we are in a season of waiting. Sometimes I think we like waiting because it means we do nothing. Francis Chan in his book ‘Crazy Love’ says …
“Most of us use ‘I’m waiting for God to reveal His calling on my life’ as a means of avoiding action.”
Francis Chan goes on is his book to throw out a challenge to us in this season of waiting …
“Did you hear God calling you to sit in front of the television yesterday? Or to go on your last vacation? Or exercise this morning? Probably not, but you still did it. The point isn’t that vacations or exercise are wrong, but that we are quick to rationalize our entertainment and priorities yet are slow to commit to serving God.”