A Girl and a Giant

1 Samuel 17: 45-47

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.  All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved to hear stories told about wars, giants, and a stone throwing hero. More than anything she wanted to be that person, fighting ahead of the army that cowered behind their man-made shields. To stand and be the one that God called to fight and win was something to aspire to and become. A sling shot using shepherd boy was her idol, and giants cowered at her feet.

Today, children have a different set of heroes to idolize. Oftentimes, when asked who their heroes are, moms and dads are at the bottom of the list, while the latest pop singer or celebrity on television, is at the top. Hardly ever is there a biblical figure mentioned on the ever growing list. Yet there are so many great possibilities to choose from!

• Daniel faced down lions and had faith so great that he did not get eaten;
• Noah built a huge ark in the face of adversity and mocking;
• Esther risked her life in order to save her family;
• Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown in a fiery furnace for not denying God, yet they did not burn;
• Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh time and time again, even when plagues were tormenting the Egyptians, until the Israelites were set free.

This very short list does not even begin to encompass the expansive amount of people to be idolized in the Bible. In fact, that is only a couple of people in the Old Testament. Moving into the New Testament we have people like John the Baptist, Joseph who took a pregnant woman to be his wife, Mary mother of Jesus, and of course, Jesus himself. When it comes to inspiring our children, and telling them that they can be someone great, there is no better example than the ones that God handpicked to be great, and letting them know that they too have been handpicked.

Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

Image obtained from: http://ldsscriptureteachings.org