It is my prerogative spending time with my children. Children of today hardly stay calm; they’re active physically and mentally. And there’s more to it, they possessed pure faith in God as they’re not intoxicated as yet.
There are times I’ve been riding on the faith of my children. When they’re hurting I can simply give them first aid or waited for the pain to subside. An indigestion problem, which causes them to vomit in certain time, can be tiring for them.
“Papa, Mommy, pray for me. It really hurts! Tell it to Jesus,” they’d requested. So we’d pray for them, relying on their young and pure faith, which really gave them relief from their pain. If you’re a parent, I hope you witnessed it too.
For a grown man with functioning thinking ability, I have less faith, it seems. We are busy trying to ascertain the causes and possible solutions, on our own. Times are there, where we trusted more on the discovery of men, at some level, to thwart our problems.
When my children talked to God asking for their incessant education fees, I’m busy routing the possible channels as to how those amount might hit my bank account. Our few acquired knowledge in our respective fields limited our faith in God. In their young faith, they presented the matter to God.
So I love spending time with them, especially praying and/or communing with God together. Although we might be good in planning, evaluating, and creating chances for ourselves; the counsel of the Lord will stand. (Proverbs 19:21)
The Unfair Life’s Challenges:
Life’s been unfair, at times or most of the times; depending upon experiences and perceptions. I still remember that day in high school, when someone thrashed me in my face, just before my brother could help me. The boy was bigger with strong physique who challenged me in the corner.
All of our life’s challenges cannot be faced in groups, with friends, and families. Real challenges are either faced alone, which needs to be handled singlehandedly. The challenges of sickness, personal sufferings, and death are to name a few.
Now, a champion named Goliath who is a giant, challenged the Israelite forces, one-on-one, as they camped for war in the Valley of Elah. (1 Samuel 17) “Give me a man and let us fight”, he shouted each day. Why not fight a war as group of armies? It’s unfair!
Goliath has the advantage of being a giant amongst the warriors. And he wanted to fight one-on-one because he was sure his opponents have none who can withstand his might. The evil works always wanted to single us out!
It’s true we’re not being asked nor consulted, about the kind of challenges, in the face of our sufferings and adversity. But by putting faith in God, we’re expected to overcome and defeated our opponents. The challenges we faced today might loom large on our soul once we get blinded by the intensity of the threat.
Young Man’s Faith Proclaimed:
David, a young shepherd boy from Bethlehem, reached the camp of the Israelites to see his elder brothers as directed by his father. He heard Goliath shouting his usual defiance which left the soldiers terrified.
In short, David’s will to fight Goliath reached King Saul although his brothers are against him. The king was awestruck to see only a young man with no experience of working in the forces before. The young man, David, has no experience but was a man of faith who has seen the work of God while herding their family’s flock of sheep.
David told the King, “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine (Goliath).” Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.
Young Faith Defeating the Giant:
Since David has put his faith in the Lord, fear has no place in his mind. As he met Goliath, he reiterated that people would see God at work this very moment. He reached his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck Goliath’s forehead. The stone sank on his head and he fell face down on the ground.
So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. He ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
In reality, the whole of King Saul’s men were riding on the faith of this young man. It is not their experience and strength which nullify their great fear but a pure faith of a young man who trust the Lord with all his heart.
Young Faith Blossoming:
If you have men past their glory at home, they’ll fondly recall those difficult times with a touch of nostalgia. Their sufferings, their struggles, the little faith that was enough for them to lived through, and the guiding spirit are their favorite story for us.
In the open spaces where he was herding the sheep, David has grown closer to God. While herding the sheep he intimated with the Lord his God. When he was alone there in the fields, he knows that it was God who delivered him and his flock of sheep from the dangers of wild animals. Shepherding may not seem noble but it’s the place where his young faith gets nourished.
The encountered with Goliath was an important event; God has set for him, to see his blossoming faith. The young faith put to work killed the giant. He tried great things for God, so he’d seen great things from God. For our faith to blossom, sometimes, we are allowed to walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
Nourishing Faith:
The giant may no longer come in human form, but it’s very much present here in our life. Some may suffer, some may get tempted, some may face financial weariness, relationships with other people, and many more. Loose talks may hurt, people shouting their usual defiance will hurt even more. But let’s not lose hope; it is a chance to nourish our faith.
It may seem paradoxical, yet difficult times may help nourish faith and strengthen personal bond with God. Despite the awful situations, it’s a reminder: God does reigns! In the chaos of life, one can better understand the mystery of God, by putting faith in hard times.
O, How I long to walk closely with Him! And in my dark days He’ll shine brighter. Renew my faith as in my younger days. Please nourish my faith so that it may blossom for you, shading my life and my family at your right hand.
Let me end herewith my selected lines from Psalms 121:
I lift up my eyes to the mountains-
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
The maker of heaven and earth.
He’ll watch my coming and going;
Both now and forevermore. Amen!
