The story of David and Goliath has always been my favourite bible story when I was growing up. I am inspired by it in the sense that whenever I face any goliath (goliath in this context means challenges, trials and threats) I always remember the courage, bravery and the faith of David.
Imagine a young shepherd boy volunteering to fight with Goliath, a giant in the Philistine army, a very fearful man, even the men of Israel fled when they saw him.
David did not hesitate to put himself forward to fight the Philistine. He knew that the God of Israel that Goliath defiled his army will be with him.
What Goliath didn’t know when he made the request to fight a man to be chosen from the Israelites army was that he was doomed and would die in the hands of the man. We can see how God’s power was being manifested through David. The only work he’d ever done was herding his father’s sheep, he’d never served in the army, yet he wanted to fight Goliath.
When King Saul heard this he tried to talk David out of it that he was not strong enough for Goliath. David boasted how he had killed wild beasts that had come after his father’s flock, so Goliath was nothing compared.
Fear does not need to cripple us from taking the right action or rob us of our trust and reliance on God. Courage working with faith enables us to embrace God’s work of truth and love with confidence and to act on it with strong hope.
Psalm 46 teaches us that: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble therefore we will not fear even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea. This is one of my favourite Psalms.
David was given all the battle gears but he didn’t want any of those, he only took his staff and five smooth stones with his sling. The Philistines were surprised and Goliath so amused when he saw who was coming to fight him and with what – sticks, no military gear. David was so bold that he said to Goliath “you come to fight me with swords, but I have come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts”.
David had no fear at all he trusted the God of Israel he served and had faith in Him. As human beings when we go through trials in life, the fear of the unknown may be lurking somewhere in us but with faith in God fear has no place in our life.
What are the characteristics of faith and how can we grow in it? Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us to have, and it is only possible by grace and the help of the Holy Spirit, who moves the heart and who opens the eyes of the mind to understand and accept the truth which God has revealed to us. Faith makes us relate to God rightly and confidently, with trust and reliance by believing and adhering to His Word. What is the Word? Jesus Christ – God becoming human and sharing our lives - He is reliable and trustworthy.
When I was going into the hospital for surgery, almost a year ago, I had some form of fear and doubt. I remember telling my daughter where things are, mortgage documents and so on, she said mummy don’t even go there, you’ll be fine, then I called my boys and told them the same thing, they didn’t even say anything the mere look on their faces said it all. I went on my knee and prayed like I never prayed before and here I am today. Praise God!!!!!
Look at the first reading in your pew sheet.
David had no doubt in his mind and told Goliath that this very day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I will strike you down and cut off your head; and I will give the dead bodies of the Philistine army this very day to the birds of the air and to the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord's and he will give you into our hand.
Did you note that statement? When we are faced with the goliaths of this world, be it sickness, loss of income, rejection and hardhship we need to believe that God is in our lives – that is faith. We should talk to our God from the heart, with boldness and conviction that the battle is the Lord’s and it is already won.
David used a sling and one stone to kill Goliath. We need to kill the goliaths in our lives with prayer of faith, pray without ceasing.
Look at the Gospel reading.
In Mark’s Gospel we read that Jesus and His disciples were in the boat crossing to the other side of the river. Jesus fell asleep, there was a storm the disciples started to panic, fear gripped them they could not do anything, they did not even pray. Being disciples of Jesus they knew that their Master prayed all the time but their fear overwhelmed them so they lost their reasoning faculty, but what we don’t know is whether Jesus was just resting and not really sleeping but wanted to test the faith of His disciples.
It was in the midst of their fear they woke Jesus and vent their anger at Him that He had no care whether they perished. Jesus calm the sea by saying “Peace, Be still”, and He rebuked His disciples ‘why are you afraid, have you still no faith’. What Jesus was asking them was they had been with Him all this time and they still have the character of unbelief. The disciples then wondered who indeed is this man that the wind and sea obey Him?
This story tells us that Jesus helps people in His own way and at His own time. When the waves were pounding the boat and the wind was pushing it everywhere, Jesus was sleeping in the back of the boat. After he calmed the storm the disciples were still afraid. He asked them why they still could not believe. What would it take to convince them?
We might ask ourselves that question. When God points out our reliance on the things of this world, what will it take to tell us to rely only on the grace of God?
We see how God answers our prayers. We might think He is sleeping and does not hear us as we pray for something, again and again. He has said that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. There is only one God who is above all gods. The calming of the storm is only a small expression of the power His name holds. No other name has such power (At the name Jesus, every knee should bow and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord).
It is a difficult time we live in today, with so many not believing that only Jesus can help them. We should boldly remember and proclaim the name of Jesus as the only true Saviour, and not only the wind and waves obey him, but the whole earth and all the stars of the sky as well.
I firmly believe that when we are going through the storm of life, the only One we can rely on is Jesus.
Another story of peace and in the midst of a storm I want to share with you today is when John Wesley was going to America as a missionary the ship was caught in a great storm in the Atlantic and everyone was terrified -- everyone, except one group of passengers who stayed below praying and seemed completely unperturbed. Wesley learned a great deal from those passengers about complete trust in God through faith in Christ. Saved from the waves, saved from chaos, saved from the power of evil, saved from death - it takes many forms, but gift of saving grace is a well known gift of peace that comes from knowing that it is in Jesus Christ that God overcomes our fears.
The love of God strengthens us in our faith and trust in him and enables us to act with justice and kindness towards our neighbor even in the face of opposition or harm. Do we really allow the love of Christ to rule in our heart and mind, and to move our will to choose what is good in accordance with his will?
My brothers and sisters, you might want to say Amen to my prayer for us today.
"Lord, increase our faith in your redeeming love and power that we may always recognize your abiding presence with us. And give us courage to do your will in all circumstances."
