Facing Goliath

There are verses we read in the Bible where we want to say, "Really?"  Near the top of the list are probably "Rejoice in the Lord always" and "In everything give thanks."  And we may tend to think, "You can't be serious, God!  You want me to rejoice when I feel sick, or I lost my job, or I lost my spouse, or my marriage is falling apart, or my kids hate me, or I have a horrid boss or neighbour, etc., etc."  God says, "Yes!" 

 In my read-through-the-Bible plan, I found myself in Psalm 8 today. "O Lord our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth!"  Yesterday, I had Psalm 3 which David wrote when he was fleeing before his son, Absalom, who wanted to take over the throne, and was out to defeat and kill his father.  Here is what David had to say in the midst of that situation:

     Lord, how they have increased who trouble me! 

     Many are they who rise up against me.  

     Many are they who say of me, "There is no help for him in God."  Selah.

     

     But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, 

     My glory, and the One who lifts up my head.

     I cried to the Lord with my voice,

     And He heard me from His holy hill.  Selah.

     I lay down and slept;

     I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.

     I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

     Who have set themselves against me all around.

In another fearful situation years earlier, when Israel's original king, Saul, was out to kill him, David wrote Psalm 34:

     I will bless the Lord at all times;

     His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

     My soul shall make its boast in the Lord;

     The humble (or afflicted) shall hear of it and be glad.

     Oh, magnify the Lord with me,

     And let us exalt His name together...

     The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, 

     And delivers them.

     Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

     Blessed is the man who trusts in Him...

     The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears,

     And delivers them out of all their troubles.

What an example for us to follow!

He must have started practising a life of praise and thanksgiving when he was young and guarding the family's flock of sheep out in the meadows alone.  That is where he would have found the strength to kill a lion and a bear when they came to attack the sheep.  When he was faced with the giant Goliath (1 Samuel 17), he had the same "I can't lose because I have this covenant with the one true God" attitude.  He told King Saul, "The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will delver me from the hand of this Philistine."  His words when faced with Goliath's scorn and threats are priceless.  Here is their exchange:  

Goliath:  Come to me and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!

David:  You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin.  But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.  This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you.  And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.  Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands."

Such confidence!  

As we practise living a life of thanksgiving and praise and rejoicing, our confidence and strength will increase as well so that we will not worry about who or what rises up against us, because we will know the One who is our shield, our glory and who lifts up our heads, who sustains us and fights our battles. 

As so often happens, this all brings a song to mind.  It's Don Francisco again, with a very simple song, just one verse and one chorus repeated several times, but it reminds us of some things we should always rejoice over.  It has a very upbeat, happy sound and when you hear it, it would be really hard not to dance and sing along.  The title is "I Will Rejoice":

     I will rejoice and praise the name of Jesus.

     To praise You brings joy to my soul.

     I will rejoice and praise the name of Jesus.

     To praise You brings joy to my soul.

     I will rejoice because Your blood has purchased my salvation.

     I'll rejoice because Your Spirit dwells in me.

     I will rejoice because my name is written down in heaven.

     I'll rejoice because I'll live with You through all eternity.

Right there is enough reason to "rejoice always", even when we're facing a Goliath.