PSALM 20:7
Fear ruled John’s life for fifteen years. Afraid of being caught by the police for his offences and going to jail, he hid at his cousin’s farmhouse, going nowhere and visiting no one, even missing his brother’s funeral. On attaining fifty-one, he learned that no charges had ever been filed against him by those he had wronged and injured badly. Although he was guilty and had lived a rough life, he was not the one the police was looking for fifteen years ago, he had been a free man all these years, but he allowed fear to control him.
Similarly, fear ruled the Israelites when the Philistines challenged them at the Valley of Elah (1 Samuel 17:2). The threat was real. Their enemy Goliath was a giant and his body armour alone was abnormally heavy (1 Samuel 17:4–5). For forty days, every morning and evening, Goliath challenged them to fight him. But no man dared to come forward. No one wanted to die. When David visited the battle lines, heard and saw the taunting, he volunteered to fight Goliath.
While everyone in the Israelite army thought Goliath was too big to be defeated, David knew better – the battle was God’s battle.
What giant/battle/problems/obstacles are you facing? Are you crippled by fear? You can and should intentionally fix your eyes on the living God? The threat may be real, but the One who is with us and for us is bigger than that which is against us.
