Goliath

Yesterday at church, I was so encouraged by the lyrics to the following song, “Same God.” It was good to remember that despite what is happening in the world, in my country, or in my personal world, God is still God. He is not affected by current events or swayed by popular opinions. He is still the same God; if He did it before, then I know He can do it again for me, my country, and my world.

I’m calling on the God of Jacob
Whose love endures through generations
I know that You will keep Your covenant

I’m calling on the God of Moses
The one who opened up the ocean
I need You now to do the same thing for me
For me, for me

O God, my God, I need You
O God, my God, I need You now
How I need You now

O Rock, O Rock of ages
I’m standing on Your faithfulness
On Your faithfulness

I’m calling on the God of Mary
Whose favor rests upon the lowly
I know with You all things are possible

I’m calling on the God of David
Who made a shepherd boy courageous
I may not face Goliath
But I’ve got my own giants

You heard Your children then
You hear Your children now

You were providing then
You are providing now

You moved in power then
God, move in power now

You were a healer then
You are a healer now

You are the same God
You are the same God

You were a savior then
You are a savior now

You’re faithful God
Jesus, You’re the same
Yesterday, today, and forever

You freed the captives then
You’re freeing hearts right now

You touched the lepers then
I feel Your touch right now

Never changing
Oh, forever
We feel You now
You’re the same God

I’m calling on the Holy Spirit
Almighty River, come and fill me again
Come and fill me again

(Let that be your prayer)

Songwriters: Patrick Barrett, Christopher Joel Brown, Steven Furtick. For non-commercial use only.

I like to root for the underdog unless they are playing against one of my favorite teams. There is something about a team or an individual achieving something they shouldn’t be able to do. Like in the movie, “Rudy.” If you have seen it, then you know how emotional it is when he finally achieves his childhood dream of getting to play football for Norte Dame. “Rudy, you’re too small. You’ll never make the team.” It played on late-night TV the other day again. I told myself, “I’m not going to cry this time.” I have seen it probably, 18 times. I cried like a big o baby at the end. Fortunately, April was asleep!

Whenever someone beats the odds.

A famous biblical example is David defeating Goliath. Men who do not know God or his power look at things in the natural. With their eyes, like Goliath did.

The Philistine started walking toward David, with his shield bearer walking in front of him. He kept coming closer, ⁴²and when he got a good look at David, he was filled with scorn for him because he was just a nice, good-looking boy. ⁴³He said to David, “What’s that stick for? Do you think I’m a dog?” And he called down curses from his god on David. ⁴⁴“Come on,” he challenged David, “and I will give your body to the birds and animals to eat.”

⁴⁵David answered, “You are coming against me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. ⁴⁶This very day the Lord will put you in my power; I will defeat you and cut off your head. And I will give the bodies of the Philistine soldiers to the birds and animals to eat. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, ⁴⁷and everyone here will see that the Lord does not need swords or spears to save his people. He is victorious in battle, and he will put all of you in our power.”

⁴⁸Goliath started walking toward David again, and David ran quickly toward the Philistine battle line to fight him. ⁴⁹He reached into his bag and took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead and broke his skull, and Goliath fell face downward on the ground. ⁵⁰And so, without a sword, David defeated and killed Goliath with a sling and a stone! ⁵¹He ran to him, stood over him, took Goliath’s sword out of its sheath, and cut off his head and killed him. (1 Sam. 17: 41-52 GNT) David knew what God could do with a willing servant!

Men are not the only ones who will try to tell you there is no hope in trying. To give up. To sit down and be quiet. The devil will do all he can to convince you of the same. Someone who believes doesn’t stop, doesn’t quit, or gives up. They keep going until the impossible is accomplished.

The underdog becomes an unstoppable force as one believer under God.

If you find yourself in an impossible-seeming situation, recall what God has done with you and for you in the past or read what God did with others in the Bible. God never runs out of power, and He never changes. I think God likes to say, “Oh really? Huh. Watch this.” So don’t listen to anyone else but God. When He asks you to do something, know that He will be with you, empowering you to do His will.