Every time I read the story of David and Goliath I’m amazed at David’s boldness to step out and volunteer to fight at 9-foot giant. The way he talks and presents himself shows that he [David] was sure of himself and what he could accomplish with God, Who ultimately fought for David. But, even though God fought for David, David was still mentally fit to take on Goliath. He had been in training for years without even knowing it. Training for big moment that would be the stepping-stone to his greatness as the future king of Israel. Being a shepherd, David fought bears and wild animals, so when he saw Goliath it was just another day at the office for him. It’s important in life that we be mentally fit for all sorts of situations- to be fit to take on sin and fight the flesh, and to be mentally fit to fight life’s giants. When we’re mentally prepared it shows that we also have great faith in God. And it’s also a big part of knowing who we are so that we can have a stellar personal mission statement.

When giants come against us, i.e. bullies, temptation, a difficult boss, a betraying friend, a partner that hurt you how do you react? Job had a big giant in Job 1. He lost all his children, one right after another. Satan had risen up against him with a swift hand to try and break Job’s spirit, in hopes that he would curse God. I’ll be back to Job in a minute.

Dr. Wendell Estep pointed out the importance of being mentally prepared in a recent sermon. “When giants come against us we have options,” he pointed out:

1-    We can hesitate (Numbers 13:31-33) or be willing (Numbers 13:30).

2-    We can have faith in God (Job 13:15).

3-    We can use our gifts (Ephesians 6:10-11)

4-    We can expect victory (1 John 4:4)

5-    We can be quick to battle (like David)

Wisdom from Jesus Calling Devotional

In bearing our circumstances bravely- even thanking God for them- is one of the highest forms of praise. The sacrifice of thanksgiving rings golden-toned bells of joy throughout heavenly realms. On earth also, our patient suffering sends out ripples of good tidings in ever-widening circles.

When suffering strikes, we must remember that God is sovereign and that He can bring good out of everything. Whether it’s pain of some sort, a Goliath [a person], or whatever, we shouldn’t try and run from the pain or problem. Instead, we should accept adversity in His name, offering it up to God for His purposes. Thus, our suffering gains meaning and draws us closer to Him. Joy emerges from the ashes of adversity through our trust and thankfulness. 

Back to Job

Right from the beginning Job could have cursed God when the first calamity hit him of him losing his children. But what did Job do and say after their deaths?:

In his freewill choice, Job could have cursed God. Jonah ran from God in his calamity. Moses argued with God when God told him that he would be the one to free the Israelites from Egypt. Eve ate of the fruit in her moment of temptation. But Job [and Daniel] resolved to always keep God first, worship Him, and never comprise in times of crisis. “Crisis doesn’t define who we are, it reveals who we are.”

Let us strive to have the resolve of Job and Daniel, the fight of David so that we can be mentally prepared to handle suffering and challenge.

Happy Friday!