David never defeated a lion or a bear.
Wait. Didn’t he? Isn’t that how it goes?
As David was appealing to King Saul to allow him to go fight the giant Goliath, he pointed back to his experience with previous threats. When a lion or bear would grab one of the little lambs in David’s care, the shepherd boy would run after it!
“But David said to Saul . . . “When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him.” And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” – 1 Samuel 17:34–37, NASB95
Put the passion back in your weekend.
David WAS confident about facing Goliath, not because he had DEFEATED the lion and the bear, but because he was DELIVERED from them.
One word can make a lot of difference.
DEFEATED is very different than DELIVERED.
-
DEFEATED suggests that we used all of our superior resources to finally rise up, squash and humble our foe.
-
DELIVERED means WE were spared, rescued from danger, pulled out of trouble and into safety.
David was able to DEFEAT the lion, bear, and giant because he was DELIVERED. The man after God’s own heart (see 1 Samuel 13:14) believed that he was able to rescue those sheep ONLY because the Lord was rescuing him.
Now let’s talk about you.
Saved people serve people.
You DEFEAT because the Lord DELIVERS.
You and I WORK, but the Lord brings the WIN.
Does your obstacle loom too large this time?
It’s not just too hard THIS time – it was always too hard.
Thinking it ever WASN’T is a misreading of our own past. It was ALWAYS the Lord who delivered us.
Now mentally asses your own history with this key difference:
- It was the Lord who got you out
- Who sprang you loose
- Who gave you the strength
- Who kept your sanity
- Who brought you through safely
- Who gave you that favor
- Who taught you what you needed to know
- Opened the right doors for you
- Strongly supported you
- Who preserved you in the face of significant obstacles
- Who saved you
- Who delivered you
You may have done the WORK, but it was the Lord who brought the WIN.
Now fast-forward into the future. It is the same.
It is the Lord:
- Who will get you out
- Who will spring you loose
- Who will give you the strength
- Who will keep your sanity
- Who will bring you through safely
- Who will give you favor
- Who will teach you what you need to know
- Who will open the right doors for you
- Who will strongly support you
- Who will preserve you in the face of significant obstacles
- Who will save you
Whatever needs to be defeated, the Lord will deliver you.
Giant-Slayers are just people who believe the Lord will deliver them.
Click to Share
Click to Share
Click to Share
Giving just got easier.
Simply text The Torch Give to (847) 973-6671 to get started!
Related Posts
Be More Interested Than ‘Awesome’
Be more interested in people’s problems (and potential ways you can help solve them) than in communicating how ‘awesome’ you are (or your organization is).
Resisting The Pressure To Make Something Happen
Are you taking on too much pressure for things you CAN’T CONTROL? Let’s face it – no one is at their best when they feel unnecessary pressure to MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN.
Those You Influence Need More Than Your Advice
People are looking to you for leadership, even though you may not know it. Or you MAY know it . . . But you don’t know HOW to help those who follow you. Always be relationally passing on what you have learned.
Subscribe to The Torch Growth
Plan A Visit
In-Person + Online
0 Comments