If you have not read the previous 3 posts in the series, Defending God, please click on the links and catch up before reading this presentation. The first three lay the foundation (stones) for this article.
Defending God – 1 Defending God – 2 Defending God – 3
Everyone faces giants in their lives.
Fears, insecurities, timidity, poor decisions in the past, too little money to meet the needs of today, can I trust God?
What giants are you facing today?
Finances?
Addiction?
A life-style?
A schedule that is too busy so you don’t think you have time to get to know God?
Rebellion?
Maybe you think your parents are too strict.
Maybe you think the church has too many rules that just don’t make sense to you.
Maybe you think God is too strict.
Doubt – does God really care?
Do you just want to be left alone so you can do what you want to do?
Where do I begin the battle? What weapons do I have to fight with?
We begin with Trust that God cares.
We begin with faith that God saves.
That’s all He asks of us: begin with a small stone.
Like that small stone in the riverbed that was waiting,
He is waiting for you to pick Him up and be delivered.
It was just a stone that David used to honor God.
Not a Precious Stone with a beautiful appearance.
Not a Gem Stone with monetary value.
Just a River Stone, smoothed by conflict with the water that washed over it day after day, year after year.
A stone that was readily available to every one of the soldiers that camped nearby.
But, David was the only one who acted, the only one who saw the value in the river stones.
The only one who placed all of his faith in God into the cradle of that sling with the stone.
The stone that brought salvation to the whole army.
To everyone is given a measure of faith – access to God. Pebbles, maybe, but picking it up and looking to God in faith will work miracles.
If you are looking for a small stone that you can pick up, here’s the most powerful one I know: Jesus loves you.
There is nothing you can do to make Him love you any more.
There is nothing you can do to make Him love you any less.
Jesus loves me. Say it with me, Jesus loves me. Read it out loud. Do you mean it? Do you know it to be true? It is the truest statement that can be made. Accept it as truth.
Years after defeating Goliath David wrote, “The LORD is my Rock, my fortress and my Deliverer. My God is my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (Psalm 18) The small stone had grown into a Rock.
‘Jesus loves me’ is our defense against the Goliaths that you and I face in our lives right now and into every tomorrow. It is our fortress, our Rock which Satan cannot enter.
When my grandson was 2 years old, I put him up on the second step on our stairs and held out my arms to him and encouraged him to jump. He didn’t look down to see how far it was to the floor. He looked right in my eyes. He didn’t say, “No. Papa, I’ll get hurt if you drop me.” He laughed, he giggled, then he jumped. He knew, he had experienced, that Papa cares, Papa is safe, and Papa will catch him.
Focus and attitude: Stand up and stand out for God’s honor.
God holds out His arms to you today. Don’t look down; don’t worry that you might fall, that you might get hurt, that your friends might make fun of you. Look into His eyes, look at the scars in His hands. Know this: God cares; God is safe; God is the One who saves from all giants, even the ones that you face today.
Stand up and stand out for God’s honor.
You and I can become Precious Stones for God’s battle.
