QT 12/6/2022 1 Sam 17:44-52, Faith in the seen or the unseen?

1 Samuel 17:44–47 (ESV) —

44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

 

1 Samuel 17:51b–52 (ESV) —

51b … When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 And the men of Israel and Judah rose with a shout and pursued the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron.

 

NOTE: The prefatory insults remind me of football players jawing before the game starts. At least both of them intended to feed the birds and wild animals no matter who won -- sounds like their charity of choice. But David is so much different. Goliath was sure because of what he saw. He knew he could win when he looked at David. He was very sure based on the seen world. David was also incredibly sure, not because of what he saw in the seen world, but because of what he believed in the unseen world, and because of who he knew in the unseen world. I'm afraid that few of us live like David. We see our circumstances and despair. Our faith is so weak. On a number of occasions, Jesus was amazed by our lack of faith and then also, by some who did have faith. Jesus knew his Father, there was never any doubt in his mind. How we need that same type of vision.

 

PONDER:

1. Are my emotions based on what I see happening in the seen world or are they based on my trust in my God who is unseen?

 

PRAYER: Father, I want to live each day in a seen world but my eyes on the unseen. I want to walk by faith, not by sight.