September 2018 - GraceAndWorks

There is a story in the Old Testament about a guy named David and another guy named Goliath. Most of us know this story is about a great big man and young man. It’s also a story about a great faith in God. Goliath was calling out to the Israel armies to send one of their men to fight with him. Goliath was a Philistine and he was actually taunting the army and said to them, “If anyone can kill me, we (the Philistines) will be your servants, but if I kill him, you will be our servants.” Goliath didn’t think anyone could kill him one on one. David heard about the taunting big man and started asking questions about what would happen if someone killed Goliath. Well, King Saul called for David and David met with him. Saul told him he couldn’t kill Goliath because he was just a youngster and had no chance in a fight with him. David told Saul that when he tended to the sheep that there were times when lions or bears came and took a lamb from the flock. He then proceeded to tell Saul that had killed both lion and bear by himself just by striking them. He told Saul that the same Lord that delivered him from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear, will deliver him from the hand of this Philistine, Goliath (David’s Faith). Saul finally conceded and got armor for David to dress in. He put the armor on David but he couldn’t walk so he took it off. So here goes David off to battle with no armor and just a sling and five pebbles. Goliath looked at him and said, “You think I am some sort of a dog that you come at me with sticks?” Then Goliath cursed David by his gods. Picture this: Goliath was fully clothed in heavy armor, sword, spear, and a javelin. David, a youth with no armor, no sword, no spear, no javelin, only a sling and five pebbles. Goliath told him to come near and he would feed his flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. David told him to come on because the Lord will deliver you into my hand  and I will strike you and take your head. They ran toward each other and David reached into his bag and took out a stone, hurled it at Goliath and struck him in the forehead. Goliath fell and David took his head to Saul. Mission accomplished.

To me this is one of the greatest stories in the Bible about faith. Let’s for now think about David being you and me, and Goliath being the world we battle every day. Satan has the world fully armed with swords, spears, javelins and fully clothed in armor. We have God as our armor, just like David. David had a sling and five pebbles–we have the Living Word of God (the Bible). There is no Goliath out there that we can’t beat with faith in God and God’s word. Satan might be tough. but I’ll take my faith in God over Satan ANY day!! Whatever Goliath you have, let God help you in the battle. You will always win!!

SMILE God loves YOU!! Have a good day all.

Have you ever awakened with the pain of a tooth ache? Sure you have!! You think to yourself that this will just go away. It’ll get better. Then throughout the day you convince yourself that it’s not so bad and it is getting better. Then you wake up the next morning and it’s still sore, but you say to yourself, it’s not as bad a yesterday. The third day you wake up and it’s still got the pain and you FINALLY come to the realization that it’s not getting better. So you make the dreaded call to the Dentist. They say they can get you right in and you tell yourself, let’s just do this, it won’t be so bad and after all, it is only a couple hours out of the rest of my life. Mr. tooth, you’ve got a lot of “Nerve” putting me through this. HA!!

You get to the office, get all the paper work done and they call your name to come on back. You follow the nurse down the hall and she sets you in the chair and starts taking all kinds of x-rays. She leaves and tells you the Doctor will be here in a few minutes. Yeah, right, seemed like hours, while all the time you just sit there and think about the needle and the pain of it being JABBED into you gum. Uh-Oh, here’s the Doc and he tells you—ROOT CANAL and crown and we can do it right now. He tells you we’re going to numb you up and you’re going to feel a pinch. REALLY?? That needle looked a foot long and I’m telling you right now that it was more than a pinch. WOW, it’s all numb and I tell the Doc, there’s no more pain, see ya later. He laughs and starts to work on the tooth. Budda-Bing, Budda-Bang, he uses the drill and other instruments and digs the nerve out, puts a build up on the tooth and says he’s done until the permanent crown is in. I’m thinking, that wasn’t so bad. Why did I put up with the pain for three days when it could have been over on the first day? It’s hard to believe something as small as a tooth can lead to so much pain.

I was thinking as the Doc worked on me that life would be so simple if I could just get a shot and make pain go away. Have a tool that would dig the bad out of me and get up with no more pain. Then I thought, I have that. All I have to have is Faith in God, sit back, and let Him do his work. Budda-Bing, Budda-Bang, all is better. Thank you God for the avenue of Prayer, your written words, and the knowledge, wisdom and faith you have given me so I can get through the “Pains” I endure during this life.

SMILE God loves YOU!! Have a good day all.