The Philistines of the Bible are ancestors of present day Palestinians in the
Gaza Strip.
----- Original Message -----
From: O.Addison Gethers
To: Deaf-blind inspirational life groups ; Resting place groups ; bsfm groups
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2009 9:21 AM
Subject: {dbilg} devotional and prayeer from Sharon Sandeerson March 10
Tuesday
March 10, 2009
RECOGNIZING POTENTIAL
Goliath stood and called to the Israelites, "Why do you form a battle line?
Am I not a Philistine, and aren't you Saul's servants? Choose a man, and let
him come down to fight me.
If he can fight me and kill me, then we will be your slaves. But if I
overpower him and kill him, then you will be our slaves and serve us."
The Philistine added, "I challenge the Israelite battle line today. Send out
a man so that we can fight each other."
When Saul and all the Israelites heard what this Philistine said, they were
gripped with fear.
David asked the men who were standing near him, "What will be done for the
man who kills this Philistine and gets rid of Israel's disgrace? Who is this
uncircumcised Philistine that he should challenge the army of the living
God?"
The soldiers repeated to David how the man who kills Goliath would be
treated.
Eliab, David's oldest brother, heard David talking to the men. Then Eliab
became angry with David. "Why did you come here," he asked him, "and with whom
did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how overconfident and
headstrong you are. You came here just to see the battle."
1 Samuel 17:8-11, 26-28
Okay, before we pick up a stone to throw at Eliab because he didn't see the
potential in David, we better make sure we haven't made the same mistake about
people close to us. I must say that I am guilty and I won't go into why; that
isn't the important thing. The important thing is that we recognize this
trait in us and do something to correct it.
In Old Testament times citizen soldiers had to provide their own supplies. So
Jesse sent his youngest, David, to bring more food to his brothers. David
was shocked that no one had been willing to fight Goliath, and openly
expressed his surprise." David replied to Saul, 'I am a shepherd for my father's
sheep. Whenever a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock,
I went after it, struck it, and rescued the sheep from its mouth. If it attacked
me, I took hold of its mane, struck it, and killed it. I have killed lions
and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them because
he has challenged the army of the living God.' David added, 'The LORD, who
saved me from the lion and the bear, will save me from this Philistine.' 'Go,'
Saul told David, "and may the LORD be with you.'" 1 Samuel 17:34-37
David drew from the well of wisdom that came from experience - not education.
He knew that while alone in the sheepfold he wasn't really alone; God was
with him. He knew it was God's strength and intervention that he trusted on
to help him overcome the lion and the bear. He also knew that this giant was
speaking out against his Lord and that his Lord would help him.
The odds seemed impossible when David went out to meet Goliath. Yet, with
faith in God and a simple shepherd's sling, David won. Everyone has times when
he or she faces a personal Goliath in some situation in which the odds seem
impossible. A challenge that no one else is willing to take up, a struggle
it seems impossible to win; when that happens, we, like David, have nowhere
to turn but to God. We are to remember that we too can meet that personal giant
in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of hosts. It was in God's name that
David killed Goliath. It is with God's help that Christians through the ages
have faced similar impossible odds-and won.
Father, I praise You that you are the great "I Am." You are the One who gave
confidence to David and the One who will give confidence to me in my battle
with the enemy. May You, Lord God Almighty, be forever my Conqueror! Help me
to minister hope and recognize potential in all people you place in my path.
*******************************************
O. Addison Gethers
e-mail address : [email protected] or [email protected]
window live messenger: [email protected] aim: durangoadd64 skype:
cowboys62 yahoo messenger: OADDISONGETHERS
--~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"Deaf-Blind Inspirational Life Group" group.
To post to this group, send email to [email protected]
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/DBILG?hl=en
-~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
