Thursday, March 17, 2016

faith like a child?

We're told to have faith like a child. So many times, it seems like people think that that means we should have a simplistic faith.

In 1 Samuel 17, we're told about a child and his faith. David was probably a teenager, but I have to tell you that the longer I'm around high school kids and the older I get, the more I realize that teenagers are still children. The Israelite army was scared to death, staring at the giant they were facing. None of them was willing to go out and face him, despite the king's offer of money, marriage to his daughter, and no more taxes for his whole family.

When David saw Goliath, he didn't see a giant. He saw someone who was taunting the army "of the living God." (v. 26)

With the faith of a child.

He volunteered to fight, despite the king's dissent and the ridicule of his brothers. As he walked out to face the giant he carried nothing more than a sling and some stones, having turned down the king's offer of armor. The giant taunted and cursed him, threatening to cut David up and feed his flesh to the animals.

Still, David walked forward.

With the faith of a child.

 "You come to me carrying a sword and spear and javelin as your weapons, but I come armed with the name of the Eternal One, the Commander of heavenly armies, the True God of the armies of Israel, the One you have insulted. [...] The battle is the Eternal One's, and He will give you into our hands." (v. 45, 47b)

Goliath's shield bearer walked ahead of him, but David didn't take his eyes off of the giant, the one trying to make God look bad. David put a single stone into a sling and killed a giant.

With the faith of a child.

What kind of faith does it take to face a giant with nothing but a sling and some rocks? If you call that kind of faith "simplistic," I don't even want to see the kind of faith you consider sophisticated.

The faith of a child is far from simplistic. The faith of a child is powerful, the kind of faith that can face any giant you throw out there, the kind of faith that arms itself not with armor and swords, but with the presence of the Eternal One, the Commander of Heavenly Armies.

With the faith of a child.

 

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~Mandy

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