Child Like Faith

Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?  For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"  I Samuel 17:26

Two days ago my three (almost 4) year old grandson asked, "Can God pick up the ground?"  I replied, "Well, He made the ground, so yes, if He wanted to He could pick it up."  He immediately bowed his little head and asked God to pick up the ground.  When he looked up I reminded him that picking up the ground would move the earth and might hurt someone.  I asked if he thought God would want to hurt anybody.  Of course he said no, but was a bit disappointed.  He explained that he wanted to see what would happen.  I assured him that I understood, but that God always wants what is very best for us and picking up the ground and moving it was probably not it.  He cheered right up and went about his play.

The faith of a child is wonderful, isn't it?  I wish my faith was as perfect as theirs.  In this passage David is no longer a child, but a young man, but you can see and hear his great faith.  he never lost that child-like faith, but carried it throughout his lifetime!!  How did he do it?  He spoke what he believed, when he heard it, he believed all the more.

Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.  Romans 10:17

Evidently David understood this concept much better than I.  He taught himself daily the word of God through psalms (songs) and prayer.  When it came time to battle Goliath, he spoke words of God's promise to Goliath himself.  He did hold back in fear and trepidation, but boldly went out.  Why?  He had been going from man to man asking what would be done to the man who defeated the giant.  He continued doing this and saying that God would deliver them until he eventually was taken to King Saul.  He then proclaimed one more time God's ability to deliver, then went out and won the battle in God's strength!!  My personal belief is that David was doing his best to encourage the Israeli army to do battle.  When all refused, he then went to do it himself, but he had spoken God's promise aloud so many times that it had become faith in him.  He did not go out in that field trusting in his own might, but in God's as can be seen by the words he spoke to Goliath:

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.” I Samuel 17:45-47

Some things I notice about his words are 1. He never claims victory in any other name than God's. 2. He gives a definitive reason why God will deliver Goliath into his hands - not to glorify David to prove he was right, but rather to prove that God is God alone and He was ruler over David's heart and the army of Israel. 3. He took no credit for victory, but gave God all the glory stating that regardless of physical weaponry, God would deliver the Philistines into the Israeli army's hands.

For three days God has been speaking to me on the importance of speaking aloud His promises.  Why?  So I can learn from them.  I have made an amazing discovery in my prayer life.  When I pray aloud God's promises I hear them and believe them to be true.  Please do not get the idea that I am saying we should claim things.  I realize there are many who believe that we should, but I honestly can find this no where in scripture unless I take scripture out of context and distort it a bit.  However, there are many promises that we can speak, listen to and pray until we take them into our hearts where they can never be stripped from us.

Victory is an awesome promise to claim.  The problem is we must remember that victory comes spiritually before it comes physically.  A great example of this is my Dad.  Right before he passed away he had gone to his pastor and asked him to pray with him that God would expand his boundaries for reaching the lost.  Shortly thereafter he went to be with the Lord.  From a worldly stand point people would say God failed him and there was no victory.  However, if you know where to look you will make the discovery that God did indeed expand his boundaries through his children who became burdened to reach out to more people on a more regular basis, through friends he had led to the Lord who felt compelled to do the same and through church family who suddenly felt the burden to get back to working for God's Kingdom.  His going home expanded his boundaries in an exponential manner!!  Am I glad he is with the Lord?  Yes, but I miss him terribly.  But I know that I know that I know that it is not the end of our relationship.  I will see him, hug and kiss him and have long talks with him again when I reach our heavenly home. 

On a side note, as I was contemplating writing about this topic, I went out to my car to pick up Mom and take her shopping.  I turned the radio to Joy FM and the words being sung were: Let my words be life, let my words be truth.....I burst out in laughter!!  I told God that I would indeed write whatever He placed in my heart to write.  So I must ask myself: Are my words words of life and truth at all times, or do I sometimes speak word that bring death and encourage the lies of Satan?  Am I speaking words of encouragement and victory through Christ or defeatism? 

Lord God, may the words of my mouth be words that bring life, joy and victory in You.  When I am tempted to cry out words of frustration and defeat, remind me of David and the victory You gave him all because he refused to believe the lies Goliath spewed forth and chose to believe and trust You instead.  Help us, Your children, learn to bite our tongues when tempted to derail someone of their hope, and instead offer prayers of support and guide them to Your Word.  Help us to rear our children with words of love and confidence in You rather than berating them for not being perfect.  Help us to remember that neither are we perfect, so why do we expect it of them?  Make us wise in You, Oh God!!  We cry out to You for wisdom and understanding!!  Each day is filled with lies and death all around us.  You have promised that it shall not touch us if we trust You.  We need to remember that nothing in this world can take us out of Your hand.  We have life eternal regardless of our circumstances!!  Thank You for victory over sin and death through the resurrection of Jesus and His free gift of salvation through faith in Him.