Conquering Our Goliaths

Yesterday, in our VBS, we studied about David and Goliath. The point was made that we can conquer the giants in our lives the same way that David conquered his. I am teaching the 1st and 2nd graders and it was interesting to hear them talk about the things that they fear--their Goliaths--things like the dark (I fear the dark too), bad people (you know, I fear bad people), mean dogs (a vicious dog is scary to me), being in the hospital (I have had way more than my share of that fear). I began to realize that the things the child fears are the same things we adults fear and that fear is universal.

As children, we have our parents and other supportive adults to protect us from those Goliaths, but as an adult we often feel we must face them alone. Yet the classic Bible story of David and Goliath teaches even us adults that we can face any Goliath if God is on our side. David said to 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..." (1 Sam. 17:45) Oh, if we just had the attitude of David, what could we accomplish?

Paul said in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We all know this verse by heart and yet, do we believe it? Do we believe that our God is big enough to defeat Goliath? to defeat my illness or disability, to defeat financial problems, to defeat marital problems, to defeat my depression, etc? It only took one smooth stone, thrown in faith, to bring down David's giant--it only takes one small prayer, offered in faith, to bring down ours.

Dana Burk