David has been tested.
He may only be a youth and Goliath a man of war since he was a youth,
but that doesn't mean David hasn't been tested in battle. He has fought lions
and bears and succeeded because the Lord was with him and he knows that this is
more important than those battles, this is for the Lord's honor and His
people. He is fearless because he knows
the Lord. David, however, had not tested
Saul's armor and it seems quite unlikely that it would have fit given Saul's
physical stature. David went with the
weapons he knew, no defensive armor, the Lord would protect him. Goliath blustered and taunted like a pro
wrestler, David responded with the Name of the Lord and ultimately in one fell
blow David was victor and Goliath vanquished.
It must have been a truly astonishing moment for all.
Jesus begins His ministry outside the city of
Jerusalem. He first calls fishermen on
the Sea of Galilee to be His first disciples, men who had been passed over for
religious careers by other rabbis and who were now otherwise engaged in trade
with their families. They are anxious,
however, for the kingdom of God and they had surely heard about the baptism of
Jesus. Based on the scant information
about Him they rush to join Him, leaving all else behind. Their faith is quickly rewarded when Jesus
heals in Capernaum and the demons attest to His identity. This one incident was the spark for the
spread of His fame throughout the region.
We must always be prepared, not only in the time of wilderness testing
but also when called upon by circumstances to step up to the plate in His Name.
The brothers are prepared to criticize Peter based on what
they heard about his trip to Caesarea.
Who told them he had gone to uncircumcised men and eaten with them? The word was spreading but it was only a
small portion of the story, and certainly not the important part of the
story. Peter fills them in on what had
actually happened and their reaction is silence then praise for God. Most of the time we would be far better
served waiting for information before we make judgments. We have a problem with what we believe we know
getting in the way of truth. The more we
seek knowledge the better will be our judgment in all things, the better
prepared we will be to act appropriately in every situation. We sometimes have to get past our
pre-conceived notions about things to prepare ourselves for service.
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