I got so absorbed in sermon preparation this afternoon, Father, that I didn’t even think about writing with You. I love that time slot together, but I know You understand and will be with me here and now. Thank You, Father.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 (<<click here to read the passage)
A couple of weeks ago, my sermon dealt with David – he was not king…yet, but just a ruddy youth who excelled at tending his family’s flock of sheep. Our learning revolved around the story of Goliath and his interactions with the nation of Israel and their king, Saul, and ultimately his confrontation with the young shepherd boy.
For forty days Goliath taunted Saul and his army. The challenge? To send forth a champion for one one-on-one combat, and the victor would secure the victory for the entire army. So, for forty days the Israelites had cowered in fear, terrified and deeply shaken. 1 Samuel 17:11b NLT
Then David arrived with a care package from home for three of his brothers who served under Saul. Long story short (though it’s well worth the read!), David volunteers before Saul to avenge God’s honor. After a bit of hesitancy, Saul acquiesces to David’s offer, thinking it best to “ready” David for battle with parts of his own armor. David clanked around a bit and exclaimed,
“I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. vs39b-40 NIV
As we all know, David succeeded and took out the giant Goliath and won the day! The Bible says Goliath stood over 9 feet tall!
But let’s back up just a bit, David was victorious but to Goliath’s taunts, this was David’s reply,
“You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. vs45b-46 NIV
God got the credit. Even in David’s conversation with Saul, speaking of what he had been able to accomplish taking on a bear and a lion, God got the credit.
David accomplished what he did because he was united with God…period.
Verse 30-31 of today’s passage from 1 Corinthians, chapter 1 reads (make sure you read all those words in brackets!),
But it is from Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God [revealing His plan of salvation], and righteousness [making us acceptable to God], and sanctification [making us holy and setting us apart for God], and redemption [providing our ransom from the penalty for sin], so then, as it is written [in Scripture], “He who boasts and glories, let him boast and glory in the Lord.” AMP
David, a man about whom God said, “I have found David…a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.” (Acts 13:22 NLT), did just that and we are called to do the same!
Oct 2nd, 2023, Mon, 4:57 pm
