A single Combat.
Psalms chapter 17 verses 8 and 9.
"Do you need a whole army to settle this? I will represent the Philistines, and you choose someone to represent you, and we will settle this in a single combat!
What are your Philistines? Are they the troubles that keep on nagging and prying at your life?
Everyday you go about dancing with daily issues. One after another. You think about your weight and you want to loose some but struggle with exercise and bad eating habits. When someone cuts you off with their car or in a conversation, you get angry and want to retaliate. When challenged with a task, you try your hardest to be successful but are easily disappointed if things do not go your way. You look for love and want so bad to be respected and cared for but emotions cause us to be cautious and judgmental.
You want so bad to do better. You want so bad to be free from the weights that pile upon you. You try and you fail. You get dismayed and frightened at forever trying and only seeing the massive struggles ahead. You stand face to face with them everyday, pretty well accepting that there is no hope.
Now along comes a game changer. Your health is affected by an unseen stroke or an accident. It could have been that one night fling you had and now you are facing the loss of all you cared about. It could be the death of a loved one, or maybe the years of abuse and now you are ready to give up. The giants that call us out and seem too large to ever get past are real and you are the one who has to face them.
Now you hear about the reward being offered. It is the reward of Jesus. Maybe you think for a second. Is it possible that Jesus can save me from my troubles? No way, no how! Why would He help someone who does not have the desire to ever get over this? Someone who is at the mercy of others and has to accept that they are stuck and always will be. Someone who is about to loose everything. Fear and confusion fill your thoughts. Rest and peace seem so far away.
Yet the promise of God is there! You are exhausted from seeking the right things to do. What could it hurt to call upon Jesus. To talk to Him. But how is that done? Do you speak to the air? Do you go somewhere and find Him there? The Bible can show you and since you have no other place to look why not just be serious about your issues and let them come out from you in one big plea for help. Maybe He is listening and maybe He can do for you, that needed life changing miracle.
You want to but have seen how others have mocked Jesus. You have to be strong for there is no other coarse for you. And besides Jesus promises happiness and peace in a world that causes nothing but grief. So you step up on your own ready and armed with Jesus. Your hidden unseen source of strength and power. You care about what everyone is saying but you are feeling a confidence that you never had before. You are coming up with solutions and there is a joy that does not want to go away. You are thankful and know that only Jesus could have brought you here.
You may even follow someone else's ideas and trip up. You may stumble and shake your fist at failure, but your one time success with Jesus; that feeling of confidence you have, is not going away. You pray and thank God for hearing you. You stand tall and declare that it is God who has helped you. You watch as what was once a mess fall.
You are thankful to Jesus and forever seek to walk with Him. Some may ask how you defeated such amazing odds. You along with everyone else cannot help but see the difference in your life. And you reply, "His name is Jesus." With Jesus, you can come to know God as your Father.
Thank You Father for Jesus and the battles we win everyday because of Your love. 😊
Verses of 1 Samuel chapter 17.
Verse 10.
I defy the armies of Israel! Send me a man who will fight with me! (Just when you overcome one issue another arises and it seems like you are forever being taunted.)
Verse 11.
When Saul and the Israeli army heard this, they were dismayed and frightened. (It is frightening to take steps against what we know as real)
Verse 21.
Soon the Israeli and Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. (You know that troubles are there and you try your hardest to face them confidently.)
Verse 23.
As he was talking with them, he saw Goliath the giant step out from the Philistine troops and shout his challenge to the army of Israel. (All your troubles have brought you to this point. You think; "Oh No, not another one and this issue, is larger than all the rest!" It is as if there is no way out. Your faith is challenged. Thank God, Jesus is with you.)
Verse 24.
As soon as they saw him the Israeli army began to run away in fright. (It is not uncommon to feel frightened when being threatened.)
Verse 25.
"And have you heard about the huge reward the King has offered to anyone who kills him?" (Have you heard about God and His promises through Jesus? More than you can ever imagine!)
Verse 28.
"What are you doing around here, anyway?" he demanded. "What about the sheep you are supposed to be taking care of? I know what a cocky brat you are; you just want to see the battle!" (Stepping into the unknown is never easy. There will be defiance and judgements made.)
Verse 29.
"What have I done now?" David replied. "I was only asking a question." (And it is your questions that are going to help you see, that it is Jesus who is leading you.)
Verse 32.
"Don't worry about a thing," David told him. "I'll take care of this Philistine." (You will question your motives but your want to be successful is greater than your fear.)
Verse 33.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Saul replied. "How can a kid like you fight with a man like him? You are only a boy and he has been in the army since he was a boy!" (The forever battles have taken their toll on you and you are fed up., Others prefer to accept their fate but you are wanting to trust in Jesus.)
Verses 36 and 37.
"I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this heathen Philistine too, for he has defiled the armies of the living God! The Lord who saved me from the claws and teeth of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine." (It is because of God's love for you that you know Jesus. And no one or anything can change that.)
Verses 38 and 39.
Then Saul gave David his own armor---a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before. "I can hardly move!" he exclaimed, and took them off. (No matter how much we fight our battles on our own, we will always feel the weight of their pressure upon us. Jesus lifts that weight from you and gives it to God, who in turn has given you the wisdom to be successful. leaving you filled with respect, love and admiration for Him.)
Verses 45 and 46.
David shouted in reply, "You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel---the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you.....and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!" (You have won a few battles with God. You are thankful to Him for His help and now you will continue to call upon Him. Jesus has made it possible for you to live in His family. You would never have thought it possible but it is true and you have become living proof of that. Today your heavenly Father will win another battle for you because you walk with Jesus on the road filled with joy and praise.)
Verse 51.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. (Because of your faith, because of your love for Jesus, because of God's love for you, your enemies will be dead to you, they will turn and run and you will forever find your strength, confidence and peace in knowing God is with you.)
Verse 58.
"Tell me about your father, my boy," Saul said. And David replied, "His name is Jesse and we live in Bethlehem." (The things that have happened to you are so amazing and your only answer is God. He is your heavenly Father, Jesus is His Son who is your saving grace and God's Holy Spirit takes your joy and happiness and explodes it inside you. You are God's child and you have found your peace and joy in the promise of Jesus. You can confidently tell everyone, "His name is Jesus")
Just as David overcame the giant that stood before him, so too can you overcome the giants that you face. David trusted God to be there for him because he knew he was God's child. The miracle for you is in Jesus, let Him show you. 😊
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