Not so long ago, there was an administrative and political “giant” tormenting our family and waging a long, seemingly hopeless battle over one of our children. “Giant” was the ideal word for this behemoth, who afflicted us with such demonic force that it brought us to tears at times. As Christians, we knew the victory was ours but the battle seemed hopeless, as nothing we were doing seemed to work. We were being consistent in our fellowship with God and in the Word, and there was nothing “out of order” in our personal lives that would warrant such an attack. The only guidance we had heard from the Lord was a reference to this story of David and Goliath, which we (of course!) agreed was true, but the ending seemed to be considerably less hopeful for us than for David! In retrospect, we realized what God was teaching us, and it wasn’t to rely on our own strength or to “cast our cares upon Him” and believe for the best. (We tried both and neither worked). But after Goliath had very nearly beaten us up, we saw the wisdom of this story. David drew five smooth stones from the river to use in his slingshot. He did not rely on the king’s armor or on any technique for battle other than that for which the Lord had already trained him. He knew how to slay the lion and the bear with his own weapon – what some would call just a child’s toy. The message of David’s victory is deeper than simply, “be true to yourself.” Why? Because you can fight with all the weapons you have and still lose. The deeper truth is that each believer is given a set of weapons, or ministry gifts, from the river of God’s Spirit. Like the smooth stones David held in his pouch, we hold these gifts at the ready. But only one is needed to kill Goliath, and we must ask the Lord which one will be effective for the particular battle we face. In our family’s case, the key was patience and perseverance, not anger or debate, and once we knew from the Lord to stand our ground and weather the threats our giant was breathing out at us, we won. God gave us the grace to outlast our enemy. In another situation, the key might be praise, fasting, or corporate prayer. The Spirit distributes gifts to the Body as He wills – not just to keep us humble, but because different gifts are required for victory in each season. Seek the Lord, find out which stone is the strategic one, and then go to battle. You will have the victory every time. © Deborah Perkins, His Inscriptions.com |
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Deborah Perkins
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November 2018
AuthorA severe hearing loss from childhood caused Deborah Perkins to develop what she now calls her secret weapon: tuning in to God's voice. A Wellesley College graduate and an award-winning writer, Deborah is now a wife and mother of 3 boys. Deborah has devoted over 25 years to professional and lay Christian ministry in New England and beyond. Her passion is inspiring people to cultivate greater intimacy with God. 
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