The Blessing of OrdinarySýnishorn

Lions and Bears

Saul hears a rumor of a confident young man willing to face Goliath.  David is ushered into his presence and the King is not impressed with the scrawny, sunbaked shepherd. 
You can almost hear the sneer in Saul’s words:
“You can’t go out and fight him, you’re only a boy.”

But David’s response reveals both the source of his confidence, and our key to understanding the difference between him and the soldiers who looked the part but lacked the faith to step forward.

When he guided his sheep out in the wilderness, David kept a watchful eye for predators. And twice he was required to kill mighty beasts with his staff and sling.

So when David hears Goliath’s challenge, he views the giant as the next step up on the predator food chain… 

“The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Facing Goliath wasn’t David’s shot at glory but an act of faith that made sense in an already existing relationship of proven trust. A relationship that started in the everyday fields of faithfulness, as he fulfilled his duty with the common tools of his trade. It is the sword forged in the never-ending fires of the everyday that is ready to strike a faithful blow if a great enemy appears.

The trouble and drama came to David in the midst of the ordinary, and he responded with trust and action, believing the victory over his enemy came because of the Lord’s presence, not his inherent awesomeness.
What does that mean for you?

Seek faithfulness right now where you are, doing the everyday things with excellence to the best of your ability and ask God for eyes to see the “lions and bears” where you can trust Him.

If lions and bears are too scary, pray for a metaphorical field mouse then where you can trust God. We become like the shouting but faithless soldiers when our faith only trusts God in theory. The goal isn’t to one day to work up from field mouse to Goliath…the goal is to know God in a trusting relationship and to be content with your staff and sling in the present moment.

The problem is, as we’ll see tomorrow, to live in that freedom and confidence we’ll have to overcome the temptation David faced when Saul “blessed him” on his way to fight the giant.