Monday, June 28, 2010

YHWH is... (3 of 6)


*Today's post is a continuation of a small series of posts that I'm doing based on some insights into God's character that I received this past week through the story of David and Goliath.*

3. YHWH will prepare us

"But David said to Saul, 'Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it, and killed it. your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 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." ~1 Samuel 17:37

David’s counter to Saul’s lack of faith and inability to see David from God's persepective is to list off the challenges that God has already brought him through. Although he couldn't have known until this moment, David has been training his entire life for this fight with Goliath. Among other things, David has gained confidence, experience, and faith through these encounters with the lion and the bear: confidence from his victories, experience in the practicals and "how-to" of fighting, and faith in the God that is watching over and protecting him. David can face this challenge before him without hesitation because of what God has already had him face.

Now this is not a guarantee that we’ll never face something that God has not prepared us for. The first time David ran across either of those creatures, he most likely was not prepared in the same way that he is for Goliath. And I'm betting that neither the lion nor the bear were wearing armor or had weapons like Goliath's when David fought them. But whether David succeeded the first time or not, the fact remains that God has us grow in order that we might face larger obstacles in the future. Many times that growth comes from success, but it also comes from failure. The strengthening that results from the trials of today finds its purpose and expression in the (ofttimes larger) trails of tomorrow.

Posted via email from askillfulsong's posterous