Sermon (July 7) “The Life of David: One Nation Under God” by Rev. Robert McDowell

July 7, 2024 Sermon

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

    Several years ago, I read the book, “1776” by David McCullough.  It’s a book that focuses on that very important year when our colonies were fighting for independence from Britain.

     This book reminded me of just how divided we were in our cause for freedom.  Sure, there were many who were tired and angry over British rule, but there were also many people who remained loyal to the British cause. 

     Even beyond this major division, there was a lot diversity among the different colonies.  Each colony had its own identity, its own history, and its own needs and perspectives. It was quite a challenge for our founding fathers to bring us together as one united people.

     When it was time for our new nation to select a permanent location for our capitol, they didn’t choose Boston, Philadelphia, Richmond, or New York. Choosing any one of those cities would have been showing favoritism to one colony or region.  

     So, they ended up creating a new city that would be a symbol of our new nation.  Washington D.C. became the wise political solution for promoting unity among so much diversity.

      Like our country’s founders, the leaders of Israel faced the same challenge in trying to unify a people of so many diversities and backgrounds.  In our summer focus on the life of David, today’s scripture from II Samuel is the story of David becoming King of both the southern and the northern tribes of Israel.  

     David had been serving as king of the southern part of Israel, but the northern part was being ruled by a different king.  And these two regions of Israel were at constant war with each other.  This was not the unified Israel that God had intended for his people.  

     And this was the Prophet Samuel’s greatest fear when the people of Israel had first approached him about wanting to be like the other nations and have their own king.  This is one of those, “I told you so” moments. Thankfully, there are a couple of heroes in our passage of scripture today who were brave enough to step out in faith for the sake of bringing unity to a divided nation.

     The first hero was actually some of the leaders who belonged to the northern tribes of Israel.  They were somehow able to put aside their animosity with the southern tribes and make the journey into their territory to meet with David.  

     This was a very risky political move on the part of these northern leaders.  Their political approval ratings probably took a nosedive when this trip was first announced.  But they were more concerned with unity than they were with any political fall-out for doing such a thing.

     When they arrived at Hebron, they gave David credit for leading the people following Saul’s death.  And for the sake of unity, these northern leaders anointed David to be the king for both the northern as well as the southern tribes.  

     So, the first hero was this group of leaders who risked everything to acknowledge David as King for the sake of unity.

     And the second hero in this story is David himself.  David could have continued his rule right there in the city of Hebron in the southern territory which would have been the easy thing for him to do.  

     But instead of alienating the northern territory, he strategically chose a neutral city, a Washington D.C. type of city to be the new capitol for a unified people, a city that had neither southern nor northern connections.  And that city was Jerusalem.

     But there was only one problem.  The city of Jerusalem was controlled by the Jebusites, which were a people that Israel had never been able to defeat.  Defeating the Jebusites and claiming Jerusalem as the new capitol of all of Israel would be a symbol of this new unity of Israel.  

     This is one of the reasons why David was such a great leader.  Not only was he a man after God’s own heart, but he also had a heart for the unity of God’s people.

     David’s brave decision to conquer Jerusalem would not be easy.  The Jebusites were a very confident people and they boasted that the walls of the city were so strong that the city could even be defended by the blind and the lame.

     David’s plan was to not enter by the walls but to out-smart them by entering through the water shaft which he and his privately paid soldiers ended up doing and they were successful.  And this is why the city of Jerusalem is also known as the City of David. 

     David, along with the leaders of the northern territory who put unity ahead of politics are the heroes of this story from II Samuel.  It was because of their heroic actions, that God’s people became a united people again.  They were now one nation under God.

     Several years ago, I served a church that faced a very difficult decision.  We were trying to discern if we should consider merging with another United Methodist congregation that was not that far from us. 

     Our two churches were about the same size, and we thought that if we would bring our resources together and become one congregation that we would be more effective in our ministry and outreach.  Leaders from both churches served on a joint task force and after several meetings, research, and a lot of prayer, the recommendation was to merge.

     So, we had a joint congregational meeting to vote in which both churches were present.  Our District Superintendent presided at this meeting which was held in the sanctuary of the church I was serving.  

    After our joint task force made their presentation and their recommendation for our two churches to merge, we voted.  We decided that for the motion to pass, we should have both congregations vote separately.  Instead of a simple majority, we recommended approval to be 2/3 for each congregation.

     I remember this like it was yesterday.  We distributed the ballots and the people voted with a simple, yes or no.  Since it would take a while to count the ballots, the District Superintendent led us in a time of singing.  I felt God’s presence as our two congregations sang together.  

     There was a spirit of unity.  The sanctuary was filled.  I remember thinking that this was why the task force was recommending the merger.  This was a taste of what our two congregations could do together as one united church.

     When the counting of the ballots was completed, the District Superintendent invited the joint task force to face the congregation.  He thanked them for all their hard work, their long hours, and their many prayers.  Everyone applauded.  I was so excited.  God was about to do a new thing among our churches.

     Finally, the District Superintendent was ready to announce the results of the vote.  He began with the other church and said that they voted 78% in approval of the merger, well above the 2/3 required.  There was some light applause, but everyone knew that there was still one more church.

    Everyone was on the edge of their pew waiting with anticipation.  The eyes of the task force members were turned toward where the District Superintendent was standing.  I think I saw a few crossed fingers in the group.  Finally, he announced the results that my church had voted only 54% in favor, short of the needed 2/3 approval.

     My heart sank.  And I’ll never forget the look of disappointment on the faces of those faithful task force members who had given so much of their time, energy, and hard work over the past several months.  These faithful church members who didn’t know each other very well before our meetings had started, were now close friends in the Lord.

     Tears streamed down their faces as they sought to maintain their composure.  After the District Superintendent closed our time with prayer, the spirit of excitement that had filled the sanctuary just moments before had all of the sudden evaporated.  And many of us were left in heart ache.

     That week, I remember feeling so bitter and angry toward my own congregation since we were the ones who voted it down.  I was thinking not so pleasant thoughts.  If there was any time that I would become a hell, fire, and brimstone preacher, that upcoming Sunday would have been it!  

     I remember feeling like I didn’t want to even be a pastor anymore and I’ve always loved being a pastor.  I guess you could say that politics of the church got the best of me, I guess you could say.

     And then this tempting thought came to me during that week.  As pastor, I have a lot of power.  I get to stand up in front of people and say things.  

     Which means I could take that opportunity to vent and tell them how we had just missed out on a golden opportunity to be a stronger church.  At the least, I could drop subtle hints in my sermon to let them know of my displeasure. 

     But here’s what really happened.  Thankfully, God softened my heart that week.  Slowly, but surely, God allowed me to be angry, but then reminded me to use my authority as a pastor in a positive way.   In my prayer time that week, God was telling me that something really good was going to come out of this disappointment in my ministry.

     And so, that Sunday morning during the welcome and announcement time of worship, I named the elephant in the room, and I said how many of us had participated in the vote earlier that week and that the merger proposal had been defeated.  And I said how easy it will be to look at each other as a “yes” vote or as a “no” vote.  

     But I said, that’s not who we are.  We are one body in our one Lord.  We are not a “no” or a “yes” people.  We are not a we and they people. We are so much more than those labels.  We are brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ.

     Now, I don’t always get it right. I have fallen into my share of unnecessary arguments where there are winners and losers. I’m not always a good listener who seeks to understand rather than be understood as the serenity prayer reminds us. Sometimes, I want to take the low road instead of the high road. 

     But by the grace of God, sometimes I do get it right.

     Back to my church story about the vote… A couple of months after that very disappointing church vote, we started to become a more vibrant congregation. We became more open to the Holy Spirit at work in and through us.

     There was a renewed energy and people were more positive and hopeful about the future of our church. That very negative experience, led to a positive outcome that nobody could have anticipated. And all of this was because, even with our many differences, we were now becoming more unified as a congregation. 

     And this is why David is a great leader to follow in these summer months.  He’s, my hero.  He, along with those leaders from the northern territory of Israel knew that unity was essential if they were to move forward as the people of God.

     And isn’t it interesting that because of David’s desire for unity among God’s people, that the last verse from our scripture reading today says, “And David became greater and greater, for the Lord, the God of hosts, was with him.” When you and I seek unity among God’s people, great things can happen.

      In addition to David, another hero of my faith is John Wesley, the 18^thcentury founder of Methodism who once said these very wise words, 

     “Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt, we may.”

      And to that, I say, “Amen and Amen!”

Sunday (July 7) Pastoral Prayer

July 7, 2024

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Unifying God, thank you for today’s focus on David and how he helped to unify your people at a very critical time during Israel’s history. And thank you for the unsung heroes at that time who were willing to seek unity over their own political and nationalistic agendas.

 

Open our hearts to focus more on the importance of unity rather than on all that would seek to divide us. Make us one as you are one and remind us that even though we do not think alike, we are always called to love alike.

 

Together, we pray for the people who are part of our church family that they would know of your healing, guiding, restoring, and loving presence… We pray for those who suffer and those who are in trouble…We pray for the concerns of this local community… We pray for this nation and all of our elected officials… We pray for the world, its peoples, and its leaders… And we pray for churches throughout the world, for their ministry leaders, their members, and their mission in sharing the good news of our faith that Christ has died, Christ is risen, and Christ will come again.

 

We offer all of our prayers to you, knowing that your embrace is wider than what we can ever think or imagine. You love is deeper than any ocean. And your love is greater than what our minds can ever fathom. Only you, O God can bring unity out of all of our diversity.

 

Even the prayer that Jesus taught us to say reminds us of our unity because you invite us to say, “our Father” and not simply “my Father.” And now together, as your unified body of Christ, we now say this prayer together…

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Sermon (June 30) “The Life of David: Good Grief” by Rev. Robert McDowell

June 30, 2024

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC  

   During these Summer Sundays, our appointed Old Testament lectionary readings focus on the life of David, one of the most fascinating figures in the entire bible.  

     David was known as a man after God’s own heart.  He did amazing things for God and for the people of God, but he also experienced many challenges and valleys along the way. We can learn a lot from the life of David.

     Here’s a little context to set the stage of where we are so far with our “Life of David” sermon series this summer.  Saul, who in our scripture reading this morning was killed in battle has been serving as Israel’s first king.  

     Saul got off to a good start in his reign as king.  He is introduced to us as someone who was very king-like.  He was tall, strong, and not someone who was looking for personal power. 

     Saul was out searching for one of his father’s donkeys one day when God chose him to be the first King of Israel.  Saul had a natural ability to lead, was a mighty warrior leading the Israelites to victory over the Ammonites, and the spirit of the Lord was with him.  

     So far so good, right?  Well, things begin to unravel for Saul.  His demise begins when he disobeys clear instructions from the Lord and those instructions were to not go to battle against the Philistines until the prophet, Samuel arrived to offer a sacrifice to God. Saul was impatient.

     Even though Saul continues to lead the Israelites in battle, he again disregards the Lord’s clear instructions to not spare the life of the enemy king.  Because of his disobedience, an evil spirit is set loose to torment Saul and unknown to him, God chooses a new king whose name is David.

     Just when you think things can’t get any worse for Saul, he begins to sink into insanity and paranoia.  He seeks to kill David and chases him all over Judah.

     While Saul is leading the Israelites in battle with the Philistines on Mt. Gilboa, they overtook Saul and his sons, one of whom is Jonathan, David’s best friend.  And there on the battlefield, they were both killed.  Knowing that he was surrounded, Saul actually fell on his own sword.  Israel’s first king is now dead.

     When David receives the news of Saul’s death, the man who had tried to kill him, you’d think that he would have rejoiced or felt relieved.  But it’s the opposite.  David grieves, not just for his best friend Jonathan who had been killed, but for his enemy, Saul as well.

     Today’s scripture reading is the grief or the lament that David expressed in light of this tragic news.  It’s actually a poem or a funeral dirge if you will, to help David express his deepest anguish over what had just happened.

      In his deep grief, David shared what has become a famous line, “How the mighty have fallen.”

     Grieving over Jonathan, we can understand, but why on earth would David have been heartbroken over the news of Saul’s death, the man who had tried to kill him numerous times. For all of Saul’s bad qualities, poor decisions, and paranoia, Saul was still the King of Israel which in and of itself, commanded respect.

     And even though Saul had a tragic ending on the battlefield, he was a mighty warrior whose bravery at least saved Israel from total defeat at the hands of the Israelites.  And because of Saul, Israel was able to move a little closer to freedom from foreign enemies and have a more stable empire.

     These stories that we find in the bible remind us of how complicated and messy life can be sometimes.  This is one of the reasons why people are drawn to the bible because like these biblical characters, our lives can be complicated and messy as well.  Even David, who we put on a pedestal and revere, will have his moral failings which will lead to negative consequences for himself and in turn, for the people he was leading.  We’ll get to that a little later this summer.

     For now, we learn how important it is to allow ourselves to grieve.  Grieving is what helps us to express our feelings so that we can receive God’s healing love as we move into the future.  When we don’t give ourselves time to grieve, we end up separating ourselves from the the Lord who can make all things new.

     What grief is the Lord calling you to express?  What recent grief or loss have you been experiencing?  

     Several years ago, I was having a conversation with a friend and this person could detect some kind of sadness inside me. I forget what kind of loss I might have been experiencing in that moment, but this person said to me, “You’re grieving, aren’t you?”

     I paused for a moment, thought about it, and then said, “I think you’re right. I am grieving.” 

     And just by naming this sadness that was inside of me gave me the freedom I needed to process that sense of loss that I was experiencing. That little observation didn’t do anything to replace my sense of loss, but it did lead me to become more self-aware of what had been troubling my soul. 

     Giving ourselves and others the permission to grieve is such a freeing experience because this is what can lead to healing and wholeness. Sometimes, I think it’s good to be reminded that it’s OK to grieve. It’s OK to not be OK.  

     We’re human beings. We’re not robots. As humans, we experience grief and loss in our lives which is important for us to acknowledge and process. 

     Out of all of the stories about David, perhaps this is one of the most important of all of them. David teaches us about the importance of allowing ourselves to grieve. 

     When we don’t allow ourselves to grieve, we can make it more difficult in allowing God to bring healing and comfort. No wonder that there are several psalms that are known as psalms of lament, psalms that express the psalmist’s grief. 

     There are a total of 150 psalms and of those psalms, 59 of them are psalms that express some type of grief or loss. 59 of them! This is why the psalms are so important for us in our faith journey. They often help us to express what is sometimes too difficult for us to express, our deepest thoughts and emotions. 

     Our lives include times of joy and celebration but also seasons of hurt, alienation, suffering, and death. These experiences can evoke feelings of loss, sadness, grief, frustration, hopelessness, and anger. 

     Penny and I watched all six seasons of The Crown that was on Netflix. It’s the series about Queen Elizabeth from the time she became Queen of England to the ending of her long reign on the throne. In the last season of the series, there’s an episode that focuses on William following the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana. 

     In dealing with his grief, William becomes more and more angry toward his father, Prince Charles for her death. Charles does his best to console his son but their relationship only becomes more strained. 

     William’s grandfather, Prince Phillip who is aware of William’s anger and his troubled relationship with his father, decides to meet with his grandson to talk about why he has been so angry. 

     William shares how he’s angry at his father because he feels that he is the one responsible for the divorce. And then he says how he’s also angry at the British press for how they have now latched onto him even more since his mother’s death. 

     And then, Phillip says something that seems really off topic. He tells William that he sometimes has back pain.  And then he says that the reason he sometimes gets back pain is because that is indicating that he’s dealing with some unresolved guilt, resentment, or anger in his life.

     And this leads Phillip to say to William that maybe William’s anger and resentment isn’t really about his father but about the pressure that William was now feeling about trying to live up to the popularity of his mother. 

     Phillip then offers William this thought: Sometimes, when we don’t allow ourselves to grieve, we end up taking out our anger and resentment on others even though it’s not really their fault. 

     In that grandfather/grandson conversation, Phillip was able to help William name what was really troubling his soul which then led William to be reconciled to his father. 

     That very moving episode reminded me of just how important it is for us to help each other to grieve when we experience a loss in our lives. This is what some people refer to as a good grief. 

     I have a retired United Methodist pastor friend who has worked for hospice. He was telling me that his ministry with persons who are experiencing grief is to encourage them to be aware of their feelings and their sense of loss. 

    He said that he also encourages them to seek out a small group of people they trust where they can share their honest feelings and how they’re doing. And then he said, the third thing that is really helpful is to be able to share their feelings of grief and loss with God.  

   He said that if someone can do all three, that can help that person to receiving God’s comfort and healing. 

    I think that this is the important thing that we can learn from David today. David teaches us the importance of allowing ourselves to grieve. While grieving does not bring back the past or erase the pain or hurt in our hearts, it can lead us to embrace the new future that God has in mind for us. 

     Whatever your loss might be, know that the God of Israel, the God of David is here for you to comfort and console you and to give you a future with hope.

Sunday (June 30) Pastoral Prayer

June 30, 2024

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Lord Jesus, as our hymn says, we come before you today offering everything to you in prayer. We’re not exactly sure what grief Joseph Scriven was experiencing in his life when he wrote the words of this hymn, but it’s good to know that we can come to you at any time to receive your comforting love.

 

Like David, teach us what it means to grieve with hope, knowing that you are with us in the midst of our sorrows and times of sadness. You have also taught us what it means to grieve when you stood at the grave of Lazarus and poured out your heart in prayer.

 

You were not alone in that moment because you were communing with your Heavenly Father and you were also sharing your grief with Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha. Remind us in our times of grief, that we do not need to grieve alone because you are a present help in times of trouble. And thank you for giving us each other so that we can lift each other up in prayer.

 

This morning, we especially pray for those who are grieving, whether it be the loss of a loved one or some other kind of loss in their lives. May they know of your comforting compassion and healing love. Remind us to be gentle with the people we encounter because we all carry some type of grief in our hearts in any given moment.

 

We also lift up to you other specific needs and prayer concerns that are on our hearts and minds as well as our own personal needs that we bring to you this day. Thank you for this time in our worship together that you invite us to give everything to you in prayer.

 

Even now, we join together in praying the words that you taught us to say…

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Sunday (June 23) Pastoral Prayer

Sunday, June 23, 2024 

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

Loving God, thank you for this day of worship and the opportunity to sing your praises. We are grateful for hymns of faith that help us to express our hearts and our deepest longings as we seek to grow in a closer relationship with you. 

 

During this sweet hour of prayer, we lift up to you those who are on our church’s prayer list as well as other joys and concerns that are on our hearts and minds this day. 

 

For those who are in need of healing, surround them with the care they need so that they would be restored to fullness of health. For those who are grieving, send them an extra measure of your grace and compassion. For those who are troubled and in need of guidance, grant to them your wisdom in the decisions they are facing. For our world in which there is so much conflict, poverty, and heartache, may those who are in positions of power provide whatever resources are needed especially for those who are vulnerable and downtrodden. 

 

And as we pray for those in need, we also take time to lift own needs to you. Thank you for being a God who knows us even better than we know ourselves. You know our needs even before we offer our prayers to you. As the psalmist says, you know when we sit down and when we stand up and you are familiar with all our ways. You know us because you are the one who has created us, and you have created us in your image. And you have made us alive in Christ. 

 

It is in his name that we offer this prayer that he taught us to say together…

 

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Sermon (June 16) “The Life of David - Battling Giants” by Rev. Robert McDowell

June 16, 2024

Beulah UMC & Oak Grove UMC

David and Goliath: the story about a giant and a kid with a sling shot!

 

This Old Testament story actually appeared in a 1995 Super Bowl commercial. In this 1-minute commercial, the giant, Goliath with his mighty Philistine army behind him, challenges one of the Israelites to fight him.

 

As the fearful army of Israel looks on in terror, little David suddenly appears. And as mighty Goliath laughs at this scrawny little kid, David takes his slingshot, hurls a stone at Goliath and the giant falls to the ground.

 

Little David then walks over to Goliath who is now dead, picks up the stone from the ground. The commercial ends with a closeup of that stone now in David’s hand revealing these words, “Wilson: The right sporting equipment makes the difference.”

 

Probably most of the football fans that day recognized the story even if they knew little about the Bible.

 

This story is the grandfather of all “underdog versus the champion” stories. We hear the term “David versus Goliath” as a description often:

 

The small college team versus the university squad, the individual versus a large corporation, the lesser-known candidate versus the incumbent, the amateur versus the professional.

 

The term is used to describe what appears to be a lopsided situation.  On occasion, we enjoy cheering on the underdog to an unlikely victory.  But underdogs can triumph!

 

This is one of the early stories about David and his youth. We've been told previously that he is the youngest of eight children, that he is a shepherd for his father's flocks, and that he plays the lyre. He has also been anointed by the prophet Samuel secretly and in the future, will lead his people as king.

 

If we have any doubts about David's abilities, what makes this kid special, our doubts are answered in the Valley of Elah where David faces a threatening enemy to his people.

 

Tensions are great in the valley; for 6 weeks the challenge has been offered by the Philistines daily: Who will come and fight one on one with Goliath? It is a fight to the death situation.

 

Goliath is a large man with heavy armor and advanced weapons. He also has a big mouth with no respect for the God of Israel nor for the Israelites, or for young David.

 

On the side with the Israelites is their king Saul who is not stepping forward to fight.  Apparently, none of the soldiers want to take on the intimidating Goliath.

 

David, who is younger than the others, volunteers to go out on the field. Quickly he uses his weapon and Goliath is silenced. He falls to the ground and David uses Goliath's own sword to mortally wound him. The threat of the Philistines is gone for now. David is on his way to becoming a man who will fight many battles.

 

Besides being a great underdog story, what can we learn from David's actions?

 

We will be looking at five areas and I'll be asking five questions.

 

David recognized that the threat was not just to him, but to all his people.  He was responding to a concern that affected all of them. He had to take a stand for his people who were in trouble. Their homes, their families, their way of life was being diminished by the Philistines. David felt called to step forward.

 

Rev. Corey Brown has been a pastor at New Beginnings Church on the South side of Chicago. His neighborhood is torn by violence, drug use, economic problems. In one year, he had 10 funerals for young men in the neighborhood; his heart was breaking for what was happening around him. 

 

He pitched a tent on the roof of a nearby abandoned motel to raise awareness of what was happening in his neighborhood.  He lived in the tent for 3 months to determine what God would have him to do. His church raised enough money to buy the lot and tear down the old motel. On that site they want to build a community center for the youth and families of the neighborhood.

 

Pastor Brown also walked across America from New York City to Los  Angeles. During his trip, he spoke with people in other cities about urban violence and to raise the needed monies.

 

“God wants me to do something larger than this church” he has told his congregation.   He went on this journey facing an incredible giant of violence, but he and others stepped out literally to say that there is hope for their cities.  What breaks your heart about our community?

 

David did have courage and was perhaps reckless in his eager response to Goliath, but most of all he relied on his past experience with God. He remembered how God had been with him in times of danger.

 

In taking care of his sheep, he had defended them against wild animals. David depended upon God to do what he could not do on his own.  God had helped him as he protected his lambs, and David could not forget this.

 

Psalm 18 says, “I love you Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, in whom I take refuge.”

 

How has God been faithful to you?

 

David did not let the others persuade him that he couldn't fight. His older brother questioned his motives, and King Saul doubted his abilities and his stamina.  David acted regardless of their opinions.

 

In life, sometimes people get it wrong when they evaluate us!

 

Walt Disney was told by a newspaper editor that” he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.”

 

Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team in N.C.

 

Fred Astaire, after a movie screen test, was described as someone who “Can't act. Can't sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.”  

 

I've heard some discouraging words along the way; we all have. Question is: How does God see me? And what does God expect of me?

 

David used what he had and who he was to respond to the challenge. Saul's armor did not fit him (too heavy and restrictive) and he had no sword.  David had his own lethal battle weapon- the slingshot with 5 river rocks.    Use what you have and what you can do in your battles with giants.

 

There’s an incredible story about a teenager who attended a United Methodist Church up in Ohio. When she was 4 years old, she heard about Grace Children's Hospital in Haiti and wanted to help the children there.

 

Grace Children's Hospital brings much needed care and healing to children with tuberculosis, AIDS, and other diseases.  The hospital was damaged by the earthquake in 2010 but has continued, with alterations, to provide medical care for the children.  This young woman has raised money each year for the hospital by making Christmas ornaments. One year, she could not make the ornaments because of a health condition that she has, but she did make Easter candy for sale. She raised over $1000 dollars and presented her gift to the Bishop of the conference in a Glad Bag!

 

For 10 years she has battled the giant of disease in Haiti with what she could do. That next summer, she went on a mission trip to Haiti to see the dream that she supports year-round.  Are we trusting in God and in our abilities as we respond to the cries of the world?

 

David sounded off to those who felt that they could not act, who were afraid, who were at a standstill.

 

“They were dismayed and greatly afraid” reads the description in the Scriptures. David proclaimed to the Israelites their true identity: that they belonged to the Creator of earth and heaven, the One who chose them as his people and who had led them and sustained them.

 

David, for some, is known for his military might and for his ruthless actions to obtain whatever he wanted. But to me, David is important for us because of his constant witness to God's presence. When we have our doubts, when we are facing a challenge, will you be the one to tell us once again that the Lord is with us!

 

There are many giants that affect the whole world: poverty, homelessness, human slavery, disease, addictions, ethnic hatreds, lack of clean water, famine, economic turmoil, illiteracy, war, damage to our earth.   Problems seem immense, the answers complicated, these giants don't seem to go away.

 

Philistines were not completely defeated in the valley. The Israelite history tells us that there were many more battles between these two peoples in the years ahead.  We may feel, what's the use, what do our small efforts matter?

 

David's story is more than an “under dog wins” headline. It is a story of how God is diligently working in our lives and in our world in impossible situations with unlikely people!   People like us.

 

In the valley of Elah, the people saw the one who was considered invincible, FALL.  Giants are tumbling in our world. The hungry are being fed, the sick are being healed, the imprisoned are being freed, weapons are being turned into plowshares.  Enemies are becoming friends, hearts are opening to the grace of Jesus Christ, love is breaking the bonds of hate.

 

Paul wrote: “I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.”

 

Remember the story of David and his battle with Goliath, the weak who was made strong through his faith in Yahweh.

 

Let us act and be encouraged by the empowering presence of God.

 

And don't forget your slingshot.