A L M A C I A S

IF GOD BE WITH US, WHO CAN BE AGAINST US?

As we study the Old Testament, time after time we find events related which we never seem to forget. Some of these accounts have become so popular that even people who know very little about the Bible know about these. One such event is found in the I Samuel 17. It is here that we learn that God can make all of the difference when one finds himself or herself in an impossible predicament. In this passage, we read of a giant of a man, a Philistine, whose name was Goliath, and who kept challenging the people of God to send a man who would attempt to fight him and kill him. This champion of the Philistines stood nine feet or taller and was a man of extreme military experience. Whenever he issued the challenge to the Israelites, they responded with extreme fear. The problem with all of these men was that they were looking at this problem only from a human standpoint. They thought that the fight would be just between them and Goliath, rather than between God and Goliath. No matter how big Goliath was, God was a lot bigger.

After Goliath challenged the Israelites for a period of forty days, David appeared on the scene. His father Jesse had sent him to take some provisions for his three brothers, who were in Saul's army. Jesse wanted David to go and see how his brothers were doing and to come back and let him know of their well being. As David showed up, Goliath came out again and repeated the same challenge he had been making prior to David's coming. When David heard what Goliath said, he asked what would be done for the one who killed Goliath. When his older brother heard David's question, he became very angry and accused David of only wanting to come and see the battle. David made it clear that he would like to take on Goliath. David was not afraid, for he viewed things as all people of God should ­ that is, when we are facing a problem, we should realize that we are not alone, for God will be with us.

David did fight the giant and defeated him, but he understood that he had been victorious because God was on his side. How many of us are confronted with problems today which seem to be beyond our ability to handle, so we just pretend they do not exist? Pretending will not make our problems go away. We have to learn to confront those problems which come our way, no matter how big they might seem, and pray to God for help to solve them. Let us be like David, who knew that if one is fighting for God, he will have God fighting for him also.