Stepping Out

"See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore He would give to your fathers - to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - and to their descendants after them." -Deut 1:8

 When the Israelites were instructed to "step out" into the Promised Land, they were afraid.  But God commanded them over and over "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." -Deut 31:6  When they obeyed God's commands, they were successful.  And when they stepped out in faith, God met them there.

 There is a desire in each of us to "step out" into something more.  We are each called to something bigger than ourselves. But, stepping out is hard. It requires faith and risk. It requires perserverance, and caring more about what God thinks versus what other people think. It requires sacrifice and service to things and people who perhaps aren't worthy of it.

But what happens if we don't step out? Songs won't be written. Businesses won't be started. Marriages won't be healed. Families won't be restored. Brokenness won't be mended. Souls won't be saved. We'll learn to settle for mediocrity.  We'll never fulfill our purpose.  We'll never receive God's promise of rest.  (Joshua 22:4)

Even if we don't realize it now, other people are depending on us. That's a hard pill to swallow!  But it is so true.  People are needing you and I to step out in faith.  People are needing you to be you. I don't mean that we should act hastily or bear burdens we weren't meant to bear. But, we need to realize that future generations are depending on us for foundations built today. Is your foundation solid? Are you building it on faith?

"See, the lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." -Deut 1:21

Do you feel the need to solve a problem, create a solution, or make a change?  Are you ready to "step out" into something you feel God has called you to?  Make a commitment today to step out and take a stand.  If you don't, who will?

Understanding Covenant

David asked the men standing near him, “…Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” -1 Samuel 17:26

David was the youngest of 8 sons.  His 3 oldest brothers were off to war in King Saul’s camp.  During this time, the Philistine army had been camped at Sokoh in Judah.  The Israelites were camped in the valley of Elah, with just a valley between them and the Philistine army.

David was young, probably around 17.  From time to time he went back and forth to the Israelite army to bring food to his brothers and see how they were doing. This particular time, when David went to bring food to his brothers, he heard the giant Goliath from the Philistine camp shouting at the Israelites and challenging them.  He had been doing this for 40 days.  The Israelites were all afraid of him because he was so big.  No one had yet had the courage to challenge him, and when the Israelites saw him, “They all fled in great fear.”  (v.24)

Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. ⁹ If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” (1 Sam 17:8-9)  It’s interesting to note that Goliath wanted to make the Israelites think they were just serving their leader, Saul.  But David had a different perspective. As people overheard him asking questions about what would be done for the man who killed Goliath, word was sent to king Saul who sent for him.  “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him,” David said. He explained to Saul that he had good training killing lions and bears tending sheep, and this would be no different.  Probably because he had run out of options by this time, Saul let David try. 

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  (v.45-46).  And so, David used a stone in a slingshot, and killed him. 

Often the story of David and Goliath is taught with reference to having courage in God.  But, it was because David understood God’s covenant with the Israelites that he knew he could defeat him and had courage. Like marriage, a covenant is a promise broken only by death, whereas in a contract, the obligations of that contract must be met by both parties for the contract to remain in effect.  In David's day, covenants were very serious matters.  No one broke a covenant, even if the other party didn't fulfill their end of the bargain.

When we serve God, we have God’s protection. We should therefore place our trust in God’s faithfulness and promises, as His word is true and can never return void.  Have you recognized the power in God’s covenant with his sons and daughters?  May it be a reminder and an encouragement that we can overcome anything that comes in our path, because we are sons and daughters of the living God.