Your Illness is your “Goliath!” by Elaine Davenport
06 May 2007 Leave a Comment
in Allow God to order your steps., but be of good cheer, In this world you will face tribulations, Jesus has overcome the world!, You will have Victory over sickness and disease!
My grandmother used to always say: “God never promised you a rose garden.” I never knew what that meant. My mother used to always say: “Something is always going to happen, you just gotta know how to deal with it when it does.”
In an ideal world; we’d get a notice saying that on a certain day, we’d lose our job, get a doctor’s diagnosis, have a money concern, handle a major emergency…or would we even want that?
I played baseball on a softball team of women from offices within the same agency. Our particular team couldn’t beat anyone; yet we were quite serious. We came dressed in uniform, with our gloves and we practiced. One day we played the number one team within our agency. They brought the crowd with them. There was a lot of intimidation with every pitch. “She’s a ham.” They would yell as each of our players went up to bat. If the ball was hit, at the point of contact, they would
all yell: “Out!” The list goes on. I played way out in left field. I hoped with all my heart that no balls would come way out there. I didn’t want to be the subject of ridicule.
WELL WOULDN’T YOU GUESS?
To this day, I can’t remember who it was at bat that slammed a ball way up in the air, out my way. The intimidation began immediately. “She’s a hot dog, she won’t catch it!” I don’t know who said it, but I planted my feet and my eyes and my brain and I decided that I would catch that ball at all costs. They just didn’t know that I came ready for anything. They couldn’t see that I was the little girl who used to go to the school playground with so much heart that the recreation director eventually decided to let me play with the bigger girls. I had no intention of losing. They didn’t know that I had supernatural ideas, thoughts because God had placed them there. I was going to beat them, I had confidence. They couldn’t see that I was a winner. Even then, God was with me. He sent the Angels to help me because I was about to do something supernatural. (I NEED FOR YOU TO HAVE THIS SAME MINDSET REGARDING WHATEVER YOU’RE FACING! PREPARE YOURSELF! )WHAT HAPPENED?
The sun was beaming directly in my face, the ball kept going back back back. In sync, I moved with it and at the exact right time, I lifted my glove and Blam! It hurt so bad, but I caught it. “Lucky catch!” someone yelled. “Boo,Boo, Boo” yelled a host of others! It was an impossible catch. Even the umpire asked me afterwards how I caught that. Before that game, I could barely get a spot on the starting team. After that, the coach would call and remind me to come.
I think I was a lot like David, the shepherd boy in the bible. David was the son of Jesse; who had eight sons. David was the youngest when his three elder brothers went off to fight in King Saul’s army.
The bible says that Israel and the Phillistines were battle dressed and sitting on top of two mountains with a valley between them. Then emerged Goliath. He was said to be six cubits and a span in height, which is around 9 feet tall. His coat would knock the average person down or render them unable to walk and it weighed 150 lbs.
THE PHILLISTINE STRATEGY WAS NOT TO FIGHT A LONG BATTLE! (THEY DIDN’T HAVE A BACK UP PLAN) You can knock that illness out the park with your faith; there is no Plan B!
Apparently the Phillistines didn’t even want to fight a long battle. Goliath announced the terms for which the battle could end quickly. He basically said, if you’ve got someone who can kill me, we’ll be your servants. If I kill whoever you send, you’ll be our servants. He then presented himself confidently every day for 40 days, morning and evening. That must have been some real intimidation. However, a battle did begin though the bible says that Israel was afraid.
In the meantime, Jesse sent David to take bread and corn, to his brothers and ten cheeses to their captain as well as some other things. Apparently David got a good night’s sleep, woke up early and went straight to the battle. When David came and stood with the Israelite army, Goliath presented himself and made his same announcement and the men ran. David did not fall to pieces and say: “Well, I just came to bring you this food, I’ll be seeing you, hope it goes well!” No, see David had a different attitude. Here’s what happened:
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words; and David heard them.
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid. 1 Samuel 17: 23-24
WATCH YOUR DISCUSSION ON THE BATTLEFIELD (I will highlight in bold what David says as he prepared his mind for battle)
And the men of Israel said, “Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely, to defy Israel has he come up; and it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.
And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to the man who killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 1 Samuel 17: 23-26
David was going to have Victory that day. Before he had it, he spoke it. He had the right attitude and moved forward in faith. He knew his position with God and moved forward to slay Goliath despite doubters all around him.
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And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
And Saul said to David, “Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
And David said unto Saul, “Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock;
and I went out after him and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and smote him, and slew him.
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.”
- David said moreover, “The LORD who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said unto David, “Go, and the LORD be with thee.”
And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he attempted to go, for he had not tested it. And David said unto Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” And David put them off him.
And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.
And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.
And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
And the Philistine said unto David, “Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field.”
- Then said David to the Philistine, “Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
- This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand. And I will smite thee and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S, and He will give you into our hands.”
And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.
And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone, and slung it and smote the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sunk into his forehead. And he fell upon his face to the earth.
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. 1 Samuel 17: 24-51
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If you’re facing an illness or a health challenge that’s going to take you on the battlefield, think about David and Goliath and meditate upon the following verse:
1 Corinthians 1: 26, 27
For [simply] consider your own call, brethren; not many [of you were considered to be] wise according to human estimates and standards, not many influential and powerful, not many of high and noble birth.
[No] for God selected (deliberately chose) what in the world is foolish to put the wise to shame, and what the world calls weak to put the strong to shame.
You may consider yourself to be weak, deficient in wealth or knowledge, but I want you to think of that health challenge as your Goliath and face it head on holding God’s mighty hand and allowing Him to order your steps. In the mean time, I’ll be praying for you! Blessings and Love
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