God has given me several opportunities to spend time with my sons and have some great discussions about following after God and determining God's will for our lives, as a family and as individuals. I find that I spend a great deal of these times talking about being faithful in the small things and doing the things that God places in our path.
We all have dreams and it's really fun to see someone who is living a "dream come true" life. But I'm not sure I know what that is yet.....I relate more to the folks in Hebrews 11 where it says, "These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect."
I'm not 100% sure but I think what they saw was their master's face and a pleased look on his face because they were being obedient and doing the things He placed in their path even as they pursued what had been promised to them.
In Part I of this three part series, "How To Be A Giant Killer" I referenced David and four of his mighty men. I love those stories and enjoy reading them over and over. I'm encouraged and I'm challenged by these accounts of the mighty exploits of David and his warriors.
But I know before David could face Goliath, there were other obstacles and things he needed to accomplish. As a young shepherd boy, I'm sure he practiced for hours and hours with his sling. I've read stories of the proficiency of shepherds with their slings and some of them could take the wings off flies.....if you know what I mean.
In 1 Samuel 17:34 we read that he had successfully confronted a lion and a bear who were trying to destroy his father's sheep. So, it's a safe assumption that David had prepared for this time with Goliath. After all, Goliath and his fellow Philistines were trying to destroy the sheep of his heavenly Father's pasture.
It's also safe to say that he had confidence in his skills and in His God. David's own words seem to indicate that these times with the sling, lion and bear were times of preparation for Goliath.
My conclusion to this is simple....not only do I need to hang around giant killers but I also need to make sure that I'm faithful with the little things God has placed in my path. Without those things, my faith won't be what it needs to be; nor will my obedience to God and my willingness to do "whatever" be what it needs to be.
I have dreams......and I hang on to them. But not at the cost of doing the things God will place in my path today or tomorrow. In my pursuit of God there will be many opportunities to obey, many small things that will help build me and prepare me for those "dream come true" days.
I don't want to be so focused on my dreams that I miss out on the "something better" that was discovered by all those faithful folks in Hebrews 11.
Stay faithful. don't pay attention to who's watching. Do whatever is put in front of you to do and at some point, you will begin to see something that means even more than what was promised.
I'll post part III of this series next Monday.......hope it encourages you and challenges you to a greater level of obedience.
Always in Pursuit!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
How to be a Giant Killer, Part I
Ever since the young shepherd stepped out to face Goliath, I would imagine the phrase "giant killer" has been a way to describe those who have overcome great adversity in their lives. But I've also noticed two other things that surround this event in the Scriptures.
In 2 Samuel, chapter 22:15-21, we find four other giants that are killed in battles between Israel and the Philistines. It is interesting. The giants all had something in common.
The four giants listed in these seven verses all appear to have been related to Goliath, the first giant face by David. I'm particularly intrigued with the unnamed giant that is described as a man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. I've always wondered if this gave him an advantage in math class?
The giant killers had something in common too. If you read through the names of the four who killed these giants you will find out that they all hung around David.....the original giant killer. They served him; they fought with him; they fought for him; and they were completely devoted to him.
It makes sense doesn't it? If you want to slay giants, hang around someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to giant slaying. Things rub off. I can remember Dr. Dobson saying about kids, "More is caught than is taught." That's true for all of us in all of life.
Have you ever been around a childish adult? If you spend much time with them, stuff rubs off. Or have you ever been around someone who swears a lot? Spend enough time with them and stuff rubs off. Fortunately, the same thing happens with folks who pray a lot; or folks who know the Word; or folks who have great faith. Stuff begins to rub off after a while. So if you want to be a giant killer, find a giant killer and hang around with them.
Look around you. Who are the giant killers God has placed in your life? Sometimes you have to look a bit harder for giant killers. Very few of them sell books; few of them are on the speaking circuit; they don't have web sites.....okay, or blogs. But they go about their lives doing what God puts in front of them to do, slaying the giants and giving God praise. After all, they know it is only through His name that they can do what they do.
Once you've located them, find a way to attach yourself to them. Ask them to talk to you about how they overcame their giant. It's possible they will be like David, not considering the size of the giant but the size of their God. Maybe that will rub off on you and one day soon you will be added to the list of giant killers.
Always in Pursuit
In 2 Samuel, chapter 22:15-21, we find four other giants that are killed in battles between Israel and the Philistines. It is interesting. The giants all had something in common.
The four giants listed in these seven verses all appear to have been related to Goliath, the first giant face by David. I'm particularly intrigued with the unnamed giant that is described as a man who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot. I've always wondered if this gave him an advantage in math class?
The giant killers had something in common too. If you read through the names of the four who killed these giants you will find out that they all hung around David.....the original giant killer. They served him; they fought with him; they fought for him; and they were completely devoted to him.
It makes sense doesn't it? If you want to slay giants, hang around someone who knows what they are talking about when it comes to giant slaying. Things rub off. I can remember Dr. Dobson saying about kids, "More is caught than is taught." That's true for all of us in all of life.
Have you ever been around a childish adult? If you spend much time with them, stuff rubs off. Or have you ever been around someone who swears a lot? Spend enough time with them and stuff rubs off. Fortunately, the same thing happens with folks who pray a lot; or folks who know the Word; or folks who have great faith. Stuff begins to rub off after a while. So if you want to be a giant killer, find a giant killer and hang around with them.
Look around you. Who are the giant killers God has placed in your life? Sometimes you have to look a bit harder for giant killers. Very few of them sell books; few of them are on the speaking circuit; they don't have web sites.....okay, or blogs. But they go about their lives doing what God puts in front of them to do, slaying the giants and giving God praise. After all, they know it is only through His name that they can do what they do.
Once you've located them, find a way to attach yourself to them. Ask them to talk to you about how they overcame their giant. It's possible they will be like David, not considering the size of the giant but the size of their God. Maybe that will rub off on you and one day soon you will be added to the list of giant killers.
Always in Pursuit
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