Readings for today: 1 Samuel 17-20, Psalms 59
What does it mean to trust God? As Christians, we talk about it all the time. But then crisis hits. Pandemics rage. Conflict boils over. And our words are put to the test. Do we really trust God? Or are we simply paying lip service to an idea? David trusted God. In our reading today, we discover David was a strong young man. A man entrusted with protecting the wealth of his family. A man who spent his days and nights out in the fields. Through all kinds of weather. Suffering all kinds of hardship. Fighting off lions and bears and other wild animals. David is no novice to conflict. No fearful young boy. His confidence has been forged in the fires of hardship and struggle.
Now he stands next to his brother as Goliath taunts the armies of Israel. David has as much right to be there as anyone. He may be a little younger but he’s just as qualified. There were no standing professional armies in those days so most of the warriors who had gathered to fight for Saul were much like him. Farmers. Sheepherders. Men of the fields. Men of the forge. Men who spent most of their lives in other professions. Goliath was an exception. He truly was a professional warrior. Someone who had trained for battle since his youth. A man of imposing size who the Philistines used to strike fear in their enemies. He challenges Israel. More importantly, he challenges the God of Israel..
David trusts God. When asked why he can meet the Philistine with such confidence, David testifies of what the Lord has already done for him. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." (1 Samuel 17:37) David has faced incredible odds before. Fighting off lions and bears is no joke! It required courage to track those animals down and save his sheep. And it will require courage to go out and face this Philistine. David doesn’t blink. Not because he believes in himself but because of his deep and abiding faith in the God who has protected him and guided him thus far. So he grabs his sling and a few stones and off he goes.
It’s one thing to say you trust God. It’s another to actually place yourself in a situation where that trust is put to the test. “Trusting God” for David meant defending his flocks against lions and bears. “Trusting God” for David meant going out to face the Philistine giant. “Trusting God” for David meant refusing to retaliate when Saul became jealous and sought to kill him. “Trusting God” for David meant continuing to serve Saul even though he was being treated unjustly. Over and over again, David trusts God with his life. His reputation. His relationships. His future. Remember, he’s already been anointed the next king! One would think he might try to grasp after what is rightfully his. Manipulate things in his favor. Use Saul’s mental instability to his own advantage. Imagine him standing on the field of battle, having just cut off Goliath’s head. Is there a better time to claim your throne? David does none of these things because David trusts God to work things out according to His will and His way and in His time.
We are living in difficult times. And difficult times require a deeper level of trust in God because our own resources are not enough. How many parents are coming to the end of themselves as they both try to work from home and guide their kids through school? How many healthcare professionals and first responders are putting themselves at risk because they lack the PPE they need to safely fight this virus? How many people are shuttering their businesses or losing jobs as a result of the shutdown in place? What are you turning to for comfort in this hour? Alcohol? (I’ve stopped laughing at the jokes on social media about the amount of wine being consumed.) Drugs? (The number of mental health calls to crisis lines has gone up over 800% in some places and pot sales are through the roof.) Pornography or some other form of lurid entertainment? (Porn sites have reported double digit increases in traffic and hours are being spent on video games.) Friends, crisis exposes character. It magnifies the pre-existing cracks in our spiritual foundation. It elevates the spiritual emptiness that too many of us have lived with for far too long. It shatters our weak and superficial commitment to our faith. Only by turning to Christ, will we find the comfort we need in this desperate hour. Only by turning to Christ, will we find healing for the trauma we are experiencing as a people. Only by turning to Christ, will we find the strength and the courage to make it through. On this Good Friday of all days, may you turn in confidence to the One who loved you so much He gave His life for you.
Readings for tomorrow: 1 Samuel 21-24, Psalms 91