The following blog post is by Family Council staff member Deborah Beuerman.
David was a young boy whose task it was to tend his father’s sheep. His older brothers usually were in the field with him, but they had been called to fight the war with the Philistines. The word from the battle front was that things were not going well for King Saul’s army. The enemy had a secret weapon—a giant man—who intimidated and daily challenged his opponents to send one man to fight him. The Israelites trembled in fear and no man would step forward to what they all assumed to be death.
Jesse was concerned about his sons and sent David to take them food and find out how they were faring. David was there to hear the daily taunting from the giant, Goliath, and was amazed saying, “who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” David went to Saul and volunteered to fight Goliath. He took his staff and put five smooth stones in his shepherd’s pouch and went out toward Goliath with his sling shot in his hand.
The giant man laughed and cursed as he met the youth, promising to kill David easily. “Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword and 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. . . . the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.’
“David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.”
(Story from 1 Samuel 17.)
We face so many battles in our country today. Religious liberty is increasingly under attack by those who want to silence Christians by preventing public speech, by banning public prayer, by banning Bible reading–even the silent reading of the Bible by children in public schools–by banning the display of anything that might remotely direct thoughts toward religion.
There are some who seek to remove Christianity and Judaism from the military, even though for some, Islam in the military is accepted. There are those Islamists around the world who seek to make Islam supreme and to destroy not only other religions, but also people of non-Muslim faith as well.
Some of no faith push for tolerance of all peoples and beliefs and the normalizing of behavior which is offensive to Christians and to other religions. There is a thrust to redefine the institution of marriage and to accept homosexual behavior as normal.
Liberal judges purport to interpret the Constitution—the founding document that states our government is by the people—by overturning laws put into effect by a vote of a large majority of the people. Deceit, lies, manipulation, lack of integrity and character run rampant in government offices.
We could be weary and discouraged, but I encourage us all to remember “The battle is the LORD’s.” We who fight with Him will win. David went out to meet the giant without sword, spear, and javelin. He went in the name of the LORD. He had his slingshot and stones which he was well-practiced and skilled in using. The giant was defeated. When we fight in the name of the LORD, using the skills and tools He has given each of us, AND rely on Him in prayer and trust, the battle will be won.
