At His Feet

8/5/2020

1 Samuel 17:40
He took his walking stick in his hand and went to find five smooth stones from the stream. He put the five stones in his shepherd's bag and held his sling in his hand. Then he went out to meet the Philistine.

1 Samuel 17:45-47
David said to the Philistine, "You come to me using sword, spear, and javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord All-Powerful, the God of the armies of Israel. You have said bad thing about Him. Today the Lord will let me defeart you. I will kill you. I will cut off your head and feed your body to the birds and wild animals. And we will do the same thing to all the other philistines too. Then all the world will know there is a God in Israel. All the people gathered here will know that the Lord doesn't need swords or spears to save people. The battle belongs to the Lord, and He will help us defeat all of you."

During the battle, we have to use what we know: what we were taught. David wasn't trained to fight goliath. He didn't take classes on sword fighting and he never wore armor until after defeating Goliath. That doesn't mean he wasn't trained to fight someone bigger than him.

David fought a lion and a bear before having to face the giant Philistine. He knew that God protected him from those things, so surely God will protect him from the giant. What I get out of these passages is that we need to trust God in the battle and practice what we know. David knew how to fight with rocks and a sling: something people thought were crazy but if David would have went out there, trying to be like Saul, Goliath would have maimed him in one shot. He didn't trust in swords or power of his own might: He trust in God ALL-POWERFUL because he knew that the battle was really God's.

Battles are a part of life and it goes in every area; it can be loneliness(Isolation); depression; losing a loved one; spiritual attacks on the mind or health; oppression; persecution; etc. However, God is in control. The only one who has any power and authority to do anything is God. God's in control of the battle and He won't let His children die.

God takes care of His people and He uses us to do it. As His children, we have His power and authority. We have the right and authority to look at our enemies and take them down - to make all things submit to God. God gave David the power to kill Goliath. He gives us that same power.

With our sins or the attacks: it's a battle but our God Almighty, Yahweh, gives us what we need to kill off the enemy. An example from my own life was the sexual sin I was caught up in.

I used to watch porn (basically). I would watch all these animes about gay couples and lesbians and even got into a show where it was...intense. It was a struggle and enough was never enough. When I got saved and started following God - I struggled to put down my addiction. Inappropriate thoughts would hit me which led me to want to watch those addictions, which led me to hate myself, which led to condemnation, and tears....wondering if I was really saved.

I had to fight. I had to resist my flesh but...my fighting didn't look like a strong person. I wasn't confident and speaking the truth was really hard because I felt one way and struggled to read the bible. What my fighting became - was simply crying out to God. I would cry for God to change me and not let me fall away. When the temptation got too intense to resist - I cried for God to forgive me.

And I kid you not that every time I cried for God to forgive because I was about to click on the videos, God made a kid movie pop out and catch my attention. God took control of the battle and I quickly followed where He led.

Now, I am happy to say I've been free from porn for five years now and now I can talk about this without feeling condemned and afraid.

What more, now when those thoughts of the past hit me (and they come), I remember the truth. I recall how God fought my battles and what He taught me. Now, I don't beat myself up about it but I immediately remember God's truth and speak it over myself and talk to my God about it and for help to wall through it.

Practice what you know is right. What God already taught us and more will be give. And trust God: He's on High and in control. He will give us victory over the battles. Keep that in mind.