Slaying Giants
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I have been thinking about David and Goliath a lot lately. As Linda and I have been working with the video production company to edit the video lessons for the new Mom to Mom curriculum series “Real Mom Life,” I recall the daunting process of videotaping those lessons on a very tight production schedule. The video editing is proceeding nicely (and we are so excited to offer the new curriculum to Mom to Mom groups very soon!) but I remember the deep feeling of unworthiness that I experienced as I stepped in front of the cameras. I felt like little David going up to face a giant. “How on earth am I going to do this?!” Though I love speaking to moms’ groups, I had never given thirteen lessons in a handful of days . . . in front of scary-looking cameras and lights and microphones!
I kept thinking about a line from the Casting Crowns song, “Nobody.” Regarding the famous story about David and Goliath, the song lyrics explain, “David brought a rock to a sword fight.” That is how I felt: completely insufficient for the task ahead of me. But then I remembered the chorus to the song, which provided all the perspective I needed to gather my strength and face this “Goliath” of a task. The lyrics of the chorus:
I’m just a nobody
Trying to tell everybody
All about somebody
Who saved my soul
Like David, I was taking on this task to bring glory to the God who saved me. David was incredulous that Goliath and the Philistines would dare to defame the name of God. David said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26b). David knew God would be with him in the battle to bring glory to His name.
I found myself wondering if David was scared when he went into this battle with his sling and five smooth stones. I’m sure he was a little apprehensive, even with his trust in God. Then I was reminded of a Bible verse that assures us that we will be victorious in our battles, even if they don’t turn out the way we envisioned. In Romans 8:37 we read:
“In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
We are more than conquerors! The enemy does not even stand a chance of victory because of HIM who loved us. The enemy seeks to discourage us and steal our joy. I find that to be doubly true when I am doing a task to serve God and bring Him glory. Indeed, I have felt God’s reassuring presence throughout this entire process of creating the new curriculum. It has actually been a lot of fun!
So, what is the Goliath that you are facing today? A chronic illness that plagues you or one of your children? Strained relationships in your family? Toddler tantrums? Pre-school potty-training struggles? The emotional turmoil of parenting teenagers?
Be assured that God will be victorious over the enemy who seeks to leave you feeling defeated. I hope you will find encouragement in this verse that has kept me motivated throughout the process of developing the “Real Mom Life” series:
But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. —Exodus 9:16
Yes, moms. He raised you up for this very purpose! He made you the mother of your children for a reason, whether they came to you through birth or adoption or the blending of families. You are uniquely equipped to care for them and you can be confident of ultimate victory in the challenging situations you face, because you can draw upon His power, bringing glory to His name. Indeed, because of His power we are “more than conquerors” when we stand up to slay the giants in our lives.