Tag: David and Goliath

Posted in Through the Bible Devotions

Spiritual Training: Preparing for Life’s Challenges

Posted on by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from 1 Samuel 17.

When David volunteers to fight one-on-one with the giant Philistine Goliath, King Saul says, “That’s not a good idea. You’re just a young man. He’s been fighting his whole life.”

David replies, “What do you mean? I’ve fought off lions and bears while tending my father’s flock. I can handle him.”

“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” (1 Samuel 17:37).

David’s been training his whole life for this moment, too. Grabbing, hitting, and killing lions and bears is good physical training. Watch sheep graze sounds mostly dull, giving a shepherd plenty of time to practice with a sling.

It’s good spiritual training, too. Fighting off lions and bears sounds terrifying. When it’s over, David knows God had a hand in his victory. Since one of God’s character traits is faithfulness, David was confident of a victory over Goliath.

Which of today’s experiences is preparing me for future tasks? Who knows. God is still faithful, so I know he’s getting me ready for something. Just as he always has.

Learning how to play guitar on the front porch of the fraternity house turned out to be a great asset when leading preschool students in worship. DJ-ing for the college radio station equipped me to work a sound mixing board in the church sanctuary. Volunteering in a hospital while I was in high school prepared me for visiting parishioners in the hospital.

I never know when I’m going to encounter a giant. But I do know that with God’s help, I’ll be ready. How about you?

Posted in Life

Get the h*** out of here!

Posted on by William Douthwaite

The big dog (Willow the Great Dane) and witnessed a David and Goliath moment on our morning walk yesterday.

All the noise came from a mockingbird (I think) who was annoyed at the red-tailed hawk sitting on top of a utility pole, minding his own business. She squawked, swooped, and circled the hawk as he (or she) sat and scanned the ground for a snake or something else to eat. Like an annoying mosquito, she buzzed his head again and again until he finally gave in, screeched, and flew away. For good measure, the annoying bird gave chase for a few seconds and then flew off.

Maybe the mocking bird was protecting a nest. Maybe it was a territorial thing. Maybe she was picking a fight. Who knows. I found it fascinating that the smaller bird chased off the bird of prey.

We like to root for the underdog, don’t we? There’s something appealing about the long shot. We cheer when the powerful go down. We want Rocky to win.

Oops. I still shop on Amazon. I still go to Walmart. I want to support small, local businesses but succumb to lower prices and free one day shipping. Ugh.

Today, the little guy won. Tomorrow? Who knows.