Goliath, David, and the call of God

From I Samuel 17, about one year ago, I made some notes that I thought might be very encouraging for any brother or sister who believes God may be calling them into an area of ministry that is totally new to them. Often we feel so inadequate and have so many questions as we sense God stirring us to a new work. The question can often be, "Is this really You, God?" or, perhaps, we feel certain it is the Lord, but just as Moses, we think of so many reasons why responding positively and moving ahead in God's calling is just not a good idea. I hope this might be especially helpful for anyone about to go into cross-cultural ministry.

Here are the rough notes, a working draft, which I hope to elaborate more on later.

17:8-16 - For 40 days, twice each day, the giant Goliath came out and taunted the army of Israel. The Philistines were gathered on land that belonged to Judah. We as children of God, as warriors in His kingdom, will experience the accusations of the enemy, the distortion of His truth. This is intimidating. This is the same kind of intimidation that Nehemiah and the re-builders of the wall experienced from their enemies. Expect ridicule, taunts from the enemy when you are about to obey the calling of God into a new work... sometimes the opposition may even come from those close to you, whom you consider friends/brothers.

17:17-18 - David was about his routine, everyday tasks when God spoke and he was called into this great encounter. Was David out of God's will in his shepherding? On the contrary, David was doing God's will. Be faithful in the "little" things...and let your hope and expectation only be that you may glorify Him in whatever He tells you to do. We may feel "under-used" or bored or frustrated or weary of doing menial work that doesn't appear to have any eternal significance, but these feelings are not from God. Taking care of children or aging parents, going faithfully to your job each day, doing the household chores, whatever it may be... be faithful and thankful.

17:28-30 - At the same time, David's ongoing call would turn out to be a calling away from his responsibilities as a shepherd boy. It is right and good to be able to leave behind work that you've been involved in, whatever it may be. And this goes along directly with this next section ---

17:34-37 - God uses our previous "faith-obedience-experience" in Him as training for that next work that He is calling us into. Whatever we do to honor Jesus will not be wasted. Even if such obedience should come at the end of one's life-time, shouldn't we remember from Revelation that His Word says we will one day "reign with Him"? Even in eternity, I believe, we will have a work to do, and much of the quality/quantity of that work will depend upon how faithful we've been to serve Him in this life. Whatever you do, do for His glory!

17:45-47 - We obey in child-like trust in Him; He takes care of the results. In this case, David took the stones and slung his sling. He did have to step out and act. There is a place in the calling of God that comes to raw, one-foot-in-front-of-the-other, abandonment and action. Remember it really has nothing to do with your understanding or emotional state. Often it is NOT comfortable being obedient, and yet there is a peace in the act that cannot be explained. And it definitely does not make sense (what do you think the Philistine AND Israelite soldiers were thinking when David approached this beast with some rocks?). It has nothing to do with your own natural abilities, either... yet, God delivered here. He gave the results; in this case, to see that Goliath was killed.

17:48-49 - note the CONFIDENCE that David put in His Lord. David "RAN QUICKLY TOWARD THE BATTLE LINE". When you are filled with and walking in His Spirit, go forward in complete confidence in Him, with your mind not focused on results or outcome (He is responsible for this), but upon seeing that Yahweh is magnified, glorified, that He gets all the credit for what He is doing.