Guess what the most famous Bible story is which doesn't include Jesus? Well, it's David and Goliath (1 Samuel chapters 16-17)!
David, the Giant Slayer
The story begins when Samuel listens to God about choosing David, a young shepherd, in the replacement for King Saul and as the next king of Israel. After anointing David as the next king privately, an evil spirit tormented Saul.
One of Saul’s servants advised him that a musician, who can play the lyre, will help to soothe his spirit. Apparently, David was chosen to do it and since Saul loved him so much, he became one of his armour-bearers and was called into service for Saul whenever he needed help.
Saul and the Israelite army were going to have war with the Philistines in the Valley of Elah. They chose one man to determine the resultof their battle.The Philistines chose Goliath who had been a warrior since his youth.
Although Saul did not believe David could win any battle, David confidently stepped up with five smooth stones, a sling and a staff. David was certain that the living God will fight for himas God had previously given him the strength to rescue his sheep from bears and lions.
As soon as Goliath approached the battle to kill David, David calmly took one of the stones out of the bag and slung it atGoliath’s forehead. The Philistine fell facedown on the ground and as a result, the Israelites won the battle.
The key message in this story is that we can be given the strength and power to overcome anything if we stand up with God's by our side. 1 John chapter 5, verses 4-5 states that it is through faith. So, our faith can be seen as the stone in David's sling.
Obedience
Just like the Bible is full of stories, God writes our stories too. In fact, He knows them backwards as He planned how we are going to live from beginning to end (Psalm chapter 139, verses 13-16). It is just a matter of obedience whether we are going to follow Jesus Christ wholeheartedly or not.
The truth of Christianity is that we cannot be perfect through human effort. God does not judge us by perfectionism. This does not mean we are to be lazy and rely on God for everything.
Christ already made believers perfect in God’s sight through His crucifixion and resurrection, and yet we are being made holy.
The meaning behindholinessis the idea of being different from how the world operates. Holiness naturally comes to believersbut it also is a process in which the believer has to work through with the guidance of God’s Spirit.
Put simply, we are not called to be perfect physically but we are able to be perfect spiritually by finding our identity in Jesus Christ and devoting our life onto Him.
My Story
I am not physically perfect as I have disabilities in speech and on the left side of my body. Therefore, I use a speaking application or type what I want to say on my iPad and I have been learning how to be independent as much as possible.
After I became a Christian in 2011, I was baptised in 2012 and discovereda spiritual gift in 2013, which is Christian writing.
I have been writing devotionals to encourage others spiritually for over 5 years and now I have 11 platforms to do them on. In July of 2018, I joined Christian Today of New Zealand as a young writer. Due to my spiritual gift, I don’t mind if I have some disabilities.
Although some people stare at me, I often offer grace to them by saying hello with a big smile. Nevertheless, I have a good community to be with and Jesus Christ as my Lord, Savior and my best friend for the rest of my life.
Despite my time spent writing devotionals and articles, this doesn't mean I am a master in growing spiritually. The worldly life and Kingdom life haveconflicting perspectives, and like most people, I have to work hard to make sure my worldly life doesn't overrule.
The world tells us that our minds could be healed by watching television. It also tells us that we can do whatever we want and that 24 hours is not enough time for a day.
However, the kingdom life prompts us that we could be truly healed through Jesus Christ and that and we have to manage our time well as time belongs to God.
Conclusion
We do not have to get all acts together before following Jesus. He accepts where we just are. So, when we make a mistake, we have to acknowledge it, especially towards the Lord, and try again.
Just like David, I have been learning to bring God in to every aspect of my life and through Him, I can achieve anything.
For example, my little sister and mother have been better at English than me. As I keep practising my writing skills through devotionals, my mum has now been surprised at my writing skills, even if she cannot understand theology.
Instead of making our story through our efforts, let God be the story writer. Also, let us remember that He has a perfect plan for each of us (Jeremiah chapter 29, verse 11)!
Kevin Park is studying at Carey Baptist College and finds that Christian-writing is his ultimate will of God and his ultimate method to build the kingdom of God. He started to become a Christian writer from 2013. Other than his writing life, Kevin desires to see that each finds everlasting satisfaction in God, the Almighty. You will be able to contact him at kevin.park1991@gmail.com. He loves to encourage others spiritually.
Kevin Park’s previous articles may be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/kevin-park.html