Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

"David said to Saul, your servant been keep his father's sheep.  When a lion or bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it, and rescued the sheep from it's mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it... the Philistine will be like one of them." 1 Samuel 17:34-36

I have often wondered what gave David the guts to go battle Goliath.  Logically it seems completely insane and I wouldn't have done it myself but why did he?.  What gave David the courage and confidence to step out on that battle field and how can we apply that same courage to the giants we face in our own life?  Looking through the scripture in 1 Samuel, I think the answer is two fold. 

The first thing David understood is that his God is a God who prepares.  From an early age whenever I had to make a big decision, my dad always taught me to look backwards, instead of forwards, and ask the question, "How has God been preparing me."  Our past experiences, trials and upbringing can provide great hints as to what God might want us to do next.  When I decided to become a teacher, my experiences working at summer camps, coaching, and growing up with three brothers reassured me that doing something with kids was part of God's plan for my life.  To David, it was obvious that his time as a shepherd had prepared him for his battle better than any military training ever could have.  He figured that those experiences with the lion and bear were not chance events but divine appointments that God has placed in his life for a reason.  Looking back is counterintuitive but vital to being in God's will for your life.  What has God been preparing you for lately?

The second thing David understood was the nature of God as a faithful father.  1 Thessalonians 5:24 says that "He who calls you is faithful and he will do it."  Matthew 7:9-10 says, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!".  

I will never forget the first time that I jumped off the diving board as a little kid.  I was scarred out of my mind, but jumped because I knew that my dad was in the water and had said he would catch me.  Although God does not promise for everything to go will our way and to protect us from all hardship, he does say that he will never leave or forsake us (Joshua 1:5).  God is such a good father. He is not going to tell you to cross the road so you can get blind sided by a car and he's not going to call to do something only to hang you out to dry. You might have to go through some battles with lions or bears in your lifetime but that doesn't mean God is unfaithful.  He's preparing you through those battles for great things in your future and he's with you every step of the way.  

When God calls, find confidence in knowing you are adequately prepared and that you serve a faithful God.