The Bigger They Are .....

I love Tuesday Mornings at the HeBrews Cafe .....

For those of you who can't be there ..... I pray you have moments throughout the week that bless you and uplift you the way every one of you should be. It's kind of funny how I found my way to such a place that was established in 1820, but I have. The past few days have been emotionally exhausting and spiritually draining for me, and, more than in weeks past, I was desperately in need of the fulfillment I get at the "Home of the Original Heavenly Blend".

This week my Bible Study was on the story of David and Goliath. We have all heard the old addage "the bigger they are, the harder they fall", and, in the Christian community Goliath's fall is second only to Adam's. We've all heard the story and could relay it with ease, but I wonder how many of us actually KNOW the ending of that account. Yes, David slew the mighty giant with his slingshot and one stone. Though David picked up a few ...... God used the FIRST stone to bring the enemy down! BUT ..... and this is an enormous BUT ...... that is not the end of the story, though this is where most Sunday School stories end. The story actually ends when David, having killed Goliath, walks over to him, takes his (Goliath's) sword out of its sheath and cuts his head off in front of the ENTIRE Philistine Army!!!! Then David puts the head in a bag to take it to Saul ..... AND ..... took Goliath's Sword and Shield and kept them! A ruddy kid who had just moments ealrier been chastised by his older borthers for even being there!

The summary of the Bible Lesson is this: by force, the Philistines had occupied land that belonged to Judah. They were squatters and trespassers, and, when the Israelite Army went to confront them - they were afraid. For forty days and forty nights, Goliath taunted and tormented them. Until a young boy standing firmly on the truth of who God is and his faith in Him rewrote history (His Story). God said ENOUGH and sent the most unlikely of characters to represent Him.

As children of God, it is imperative that we recognize and face our own Goliaths. Whomever or whatever those Goliaths are - they are trespassers and have no right to be there!!!! Though most times, they seem unconquerable, they challenge us, defeat us, until finally we lose the heart to fight! Then ..... they master us, and, even though we know this defeat is not the abundant life Christ called us to, we feel we have no freedom to change and that we are stripped of our strength and power.

What we must realized is that the facts are not always what they seem to be. Even though our observations are real, many times it is not the ultimate reality. In this case, what the Israelite Army had been trying to do for many days wasn't working. Out of fear of defeat, the greatest thing they chose to do was nothing. Much the same way how we do things in life, I suppose. Facing many situations we tend to try to do nothing and just keep the peace. Well, my friends, there is nothing in Scripture about "keeping" the peace. The Beatitudes say "Blessed are the peace MAKERS". Throughout history, every peace agreement ever signed came at the end of a ferocious battle! If we have been trying to do something over and over and it is constantly met with rebuttal and refusal, maybe we need to change what we're doing. Saul tried to get David to wear his own personal armor into the battle, and David said no. The armor hadn't worked for Saul, and it wasn't working for him.

David walked into the battle armed truly with nothing more than the Word of God, God's name and his knowledge that God is ALWAYS FAITHFUL to the truth. This week I have felt that I have spent my entire life fighting one Goliath or another ..... always fighting for a place in life that doesn't exist.

BUT GOD .....

If nothing else in my life ever changes ..... I know that I know that I know ..... this week, God said ENOUGH, and, as I slept, He built a hedge of protection around me as He took one of my Goliaths' heads!!!

In conjunction with this story, my beautiful friend reminded me today of a passage of text from the book, "The Shack". In this part of the story God is having a conversation with Mac about a bird that landed on the window sill near where they were talking. God comments that the bird flies because bird's fly. Being grounded for them is a limitation within their ability to fly. Humans, on the other hand, were created to be loved. So, for you to live as if you were unloved is a limitation - not the other way around." The God character continues with this..."Living unloved is like clipping a birds wings and removing it's ability to fly. (Life circumstances - Goliaths, if you will) have a way of clipping our wings and keeping us from being able to fly..."

What God showed me in the early morning hours of today is that ..... He is indeed faithful to the truth and His love for me is unconditional in a way no human can ever express. For that ..... I stand in awe!!!!

In the Battle,

Kalena Flying