And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he
disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 1
Samuel 17:42
Goliath dismissed David because he was a mere youth; Goliath made a big mistake.
New Castle, Pennsylvania's Jerry Brown Jr. Dismissed an 89-year-old woman when
he stole her friend's purse. His was also a big mistake.
Now it's true, this lady didn't have David's sling and three, smooth stones
taken from a riverbed. On the other hand, she did have her cane.
Stones or cane, both can come in handy when bringing down a bad guy.
This lady rather than standing there looking all frail and helpless gave a whack
to Brown's getaway car. She gave it such a whack she scratched the paint and
left a dent in the vehicle. Between the dent, the scratch and the description of
the robbers, the New Castle police were soon able to arrest Brown and an
accomplice, Tatiana Vargas.
Over the years I've noticed the forces of evil tend to dismiss and discount
God's people. We don't look like much; we don't sport halos like the saints do
in the artists' depictions and most of us don't perform miracles.
Even so, God's people, the young and old, the weak and the frail can accomplish
great things when they put their trust in the Lord. According to Scripture, it
was in the Lord -- not those stones -- that David placed his trust. Indeed, he
said as much to Goliath when he shouted, "You come to me with a sword and with a
spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the Name of the Lord of hosts,
the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."
Now I don't know which evil giant is coming against you.
I don't know what force of evil is going to try and intimidate you, frighten,
bully and terrorize you.
I do know that when you stand by the side of the Lord, you need not be afraid.
Indeed, as St. Paul said, it is because of the crucified and risen Savior's
victory that the Lord's saved people are "... more than conquerors through Him
who loved us" (Romans 8:37b).
Even when they're up against Goliaths.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, God of grace, today I give thanks. All around me there
are forces of evil. They would undermine my faith and paralyze me into inaction.
May I, trusting in the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, move forward in
faith. May I give to all a witness that in Christ God's people are conquerors.
In the Savior's Name. Amen.
Pastor Ken Klaus
Lutheran Hour Ministries http://www.lhm.org/
all rights reserved; not to be duplicated without permission.
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.