DARING DAVIDS!

Daring Davids!

Reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-51
"He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (1 Jn 4:4)

David before Goliath! A lad before a giant! A shepherd boy before a champion! With the armour Saul gave David, he could not even walk (1 Sam 17:38,39). David's brother got angry with him (v28). The King underestimated him (v33). The enemy cursed him (v43). But David had his strength and hope in the Lord (v45). He challenged Goliath, "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" (v45).
When we set out to do missionary work we might meet with intimidating powers, but we don't need to be terrified by the giants of science, technology and modern machinery. One man plus God is the maximum! There is no match for that. We need not be afraid of the Goliaths of today — oppositions that arise in the form of unfair "laws," direct and indirect intimidations and even attacks.
We need to be bold and daring. We must not give place to inferiority complex. Though a minority we are a significant minority. It is to the "little flock" the Father gives the Kingdom (Lk 12:32). The words of Benjamin Fernando are encouraging: "Crushing the Church is like smashing the atom: divine energy of high quality is released in enormous quantity and with miraculous effects!"
What David spoke sounded like an "unknown tongue" to Saul and his armies! True it was! He learnt it in the wilderness, alone with God. The Lord Himself trained David how to use the staff and the sling (1 Sam 17:40). He had five smooth stones but he had to use only one. The other four he kept for the future Goliaths! There is sufficient power in the Blood that oozed out from Christ's five wounds, to reach the five Continents. Let's not be afraid. God will cause our feet to be placed "on the necks of the five kings" (Josh 10:24,25).
Fear will only cripple us in our efforts to evangelise the world. He who has commanded us to go to the "ends of the earth" has also promised us that He would be with us till the "end of the age!" (Mt 28:19,20). Let's confess, "My God and I make an undefeatable team!" The fire of God cannot be damped out by the waters of man's persecution.
Ye Christian soldiers, rise against the foes in vales below;
Let all our strength be hurled;
Faith is the victory, we know, that overcomes the world !
                     (John H. Yates, 1837-1900)