A Lesson I Learned from a Familiar Children’s Story . . .
Published May 11, 2021
By LaToya Edwards
Can I let you in on a secret??
Sometimes I really struggle to be consistent with time in the Word and in prayer. And honestly, deep down I didn’t want to share that with you.
Why?
Because it’s hard for someone that writes about the importance of spending time with God and growing closer to Him to admit that she hadn’t picked up her Bible in a week (or more). Yep, I almost let me pride keep me from being honest with this wonderful community.
Thankfully, I got over myself really fast and obeyed God’s instructions to share because so many of you were encouraged simply because I decided to share my struggle with you.
I did want to share something that really resonated with me from a special time in God’s word. It was a passage of scripture that I read at the end of my time and one that I have read a million times before. (I bet you have too)
Before I share what that scripture was I want to ask you a question: How many times have your ignored something because you felt like you heard it before and already knew that thing?
I almost fell into that trap recently. I saw the verses in my study guide and thought, “I already know that story. I already know the point they are going to make.”
I was so wrong!!!! My 4-year old would give me a big giant X if he had been there a few days ago.
Too many times I think we miss something important that God wants to tell us because we think we know all there is to know about a certain passage. God’s word is living and active!!! There will never be a moment on this side of Heaven where we cannot get something new from a scripture.
I came face to face with this truth as I read about David and Goliath.
It’s a familiar story. One I’m sure you have read many times before. We read it to our children and we tell them the whole point is learning that God is with us whenever we fight a battle.
I have read that story to my children with the encouragement to “Be brave like David!”
Recently, I sat in the trampoline park with tears streaming down my face as I heard God speak a new word to my heart from old story that I *thought* I knew so well:
“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.All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47
I don’t know about you but I have been facing some serious giants over the last few years: financial giants, health giants, abusive giants, etc
Over the past few weeks I’ve been crying out to God for some answers. I needed to know what His plans were for us and what I needed to do to be line with with His will. I wanted to know how much longer this hard season would last.
Slowly, God has been revealing pieces of His plan to me. Just like little puzzle pieces.
Within a week those pieces started to fit together. And I started to get a glimpse of the finished product. And the words of David struck a sore spot in my heart that I didn’t realize was there.
I’d been so focused on making sure that I was doing all that God was asking of me that I ‘d lost sight of something really important; God is fighting for me!
No matter how ugly and hard things seem, God is on my side defeating the enemy.
He used the story of a boy that killed a giant with a rock to get my attention and answer my prayers.
And I almost missed it!!!
If you take nothing else from this remember this: We must spend time in God’s word if we want to hear clearly from Him. There’s no other way to get to know Him and His voice.
So many of you ask me how you can hear from God ….
Start in the Word!
