Every Morning and Evening...

Today, let’s go to an Old Testament story for a life lesson.

“For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.” (1 Samuel 17:16 NIV)

This verse is so clear and plain and yet I have read it for years without really understanding it. What are you reading out of this? Surely that Goliath has been a real arrogant pain, huh?

But there's so much more to it.... "Every morning and evening," the two armies lined up to face each other. The Philistines and the Israelites. And you know what the Israelites' favorite time to pray and worship God was? Mmhm, exactly. Morning and evening.

Now imagine you want to pray, but there is a giant roaring at you! How do you react? I can tell you how the Israelites reacted. Scripture says, "Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear." (1 Samuel 17:24 NIV) Goliath, the giant, kept getting between them and their prayer times.

The Israelites were afraid to enter into a duel with Goliath. Yes, they were afraid of losing this battle. But, although they didn’t realize it at the time, they had already been defeated by the giant in a very serious area of the fight. The giant had stolen their time with God…morning and evening. Twice every day!

Then David came forward and said to Saul, the king, "...Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” (1 Samuel 17:32 NIV) I love David's coolness. And I wonder why no one else out of all the people had come up with that courage before!

David let nothing come between his faith and his trust in God. Not even a giant could come between him and his God.

What giant is stopping you from spending time with God? In the morning... and in the evening? What giant has managed to defeat you by depriving you of your fellowship with God?

Today, won't you also boldly stand before your giant and say, "...Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” (1 Samuel 17:32 NIV)

Because: if you want to be victorious, you have to step up, with God’s strength, and defeat the giants.

You are a miracle!

Déborah