Sun 9:30a Class; 10:30a Worship; 11:35a Communion
Bible Bites
Run Quickly
“Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” (1 Sam 17:48)
The battle between David and Goliath is so iconic that any underdog struggle is compared to it: the whistleblower vs. the Mega-Corporation, the underrated high-school football team vs. the state champs, the small-town lawyer vs. the federal bureaucratic machine, etc. We like our against-the-odds stories, and David’s battle against the giant Goliath is a statistician’s nightmare.
But if David teaches us anything, it is that God doesn’t care about the odds, or if anything, He enjoys seeing His people defeat the odds. After all, it is God who set the stage for David and Goliath. Certainly, He could have routed the Philistines some other way, but instead, He chose to let a brave young man of faith take on their champion head-to-head.
So, we are given this beautiful scene of Goliath swaggering confidently toward the battle line as the Israelite army looks on. And what do they see? David “ran quickly” to meet him, and God received the glory.
Forget about the odds. Run quickly toward the battle lines so that God may be glorified. Our Father loves a good David and Goliath story. God isn’t worried about the odds; we shouldn’t be either.
Let’s be honest – kingdom work requires us to fight the battles no one else wants to. Instead, let’s run quickly to the battle lines of the kingdom.
Run quickly to help that person with problems that no one wants to touch with a ten-foot pole.
Run quickly to spend our money helping others less fortunate.
Run quickly to have the hard conversation with the brother or sister who has wandered far afield from their Lord.
Run quickly to organize a prayer gathering to petition God.
Run quickly to reach the lost in your own neighborhood or sphere of influence.
Run quickly to parent the difficult child or mend the hurting marriage.
These are the battle lines, and most of them exist outside the church building’s walls. Let us run to the work, forget the odds, and trust Him who sees His people fighting the Goliaths of their generation.
“For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him.” (2 Chr 16:9)
