22
Dec '18
Unbelievable!
22
Dec '18
As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 1 Samuel 17:48-50
They say in broadcasting that the great call of the announcer becomes part of the actual event, and when a truly historic event happens, the great call becomes as iconic as the moment itself. Yesterday, I had an opportunity to appreciate one such moment.
Ever since I was a child, I have been a fan of boxing. The big fights were always on television. Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and Ken Norton were the great fighters back then. It felt like I was watching one of them every month, and they were so good, it was a marvel to see any one of them. As I got older, I had the chance to watch this kid named Mike Tyson. His nickname was ‘The Baddest Man On The Planet.’ Now that probably sounds a bit braggadocios, but trust me, this name was well deserved. At the prime of his career not only did he win, but rarely if ever did his fights last more than two or three rounds. Keep in mind fights typically go twelve rounds!
He was undefeated when he went into a fight against a man named James ‘Buster’ Douglass. Most experts gave Douglass very little chance to win. In fact, Douglass had one of the worst odds ever put on for a prize fight; 42 to 1 or just over a 2% chance. And then, there I was watching what people call the greatest upset in history as Buster Douglass knocked out Mike Tyson. Years later as I listened to the announcer on a rebroadcast of the event, I found myself feeling nervous chills as if I were watching this for the first time, and the moment began to play like a symphony in my ears:
“Oh! Nice upper cut! By Buster Douglass! Look at this!!! He’s knocked Mike Tyson down!!! For the first time … in his career!!! Mike Tyson … hits the canvas!!! He’s in big trouble!!! He may not be able to recover!!! It’s up to 7 … and 8!!! He’s not gonna make it!!! Unbelievable!!! Unbelievable!!! Unbelievable!!!” (Watch the Video of this Historical Moment Here)
This brought me to the story of David and Goliath. We all know what happened, and we harken to the story when facing insurmountable odds. However, we fail to understand the true gravity of the situation because we don’t have the context of how great a feat it was.
We must have true context to appreciate the amazing things God can do in our lives. Imagine Goliath was that ‘baddest man on the planet.’ Undefeated. Unmatched. When you fight him, it’s in and out in record time. All nations feared him, and here he came with his entourage to conquer Israel. He boasts, “Choose one man to come down here and fight me!” (1 Samuel 17:8b) Israel went in thinking they have no shot in this battle (worse than even 42 to 1 odds). The Bible says, “When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.” (1 Samuel 17:11) And then, this young kid named David, comes in not thinking of who Goliath was but instead focusing on who God was. He said, “I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 17:36-37a) Note David focused on who he represented (the armies of the living God) and who ultimately would give him victory, which was God himself.
Then the fight ensued. David did not try to be something he was not. In fact, as you read the story he was given armor from King Saul himself. But knowing that he could not adjust to wearing it, he took the armor off, and went in with 5 stones (see 1 Samuel 17:38-40). Thus, we learned he fought relying on the abilities God gave him and not what others had given him. The rest as today’s verses show was history, but to truly appreciate it, you need to have the context. You can imagine the reaction as David fired the stone, and struck the Philistine. Then with stunned and excited disbelief, the Israelites watched as Goliath fell to the ground, and they began to jump for joy praising God realizing what David had done; the greatest upset in history!
The story of David & Goliath is meant to inspire us. It is to remind us that we need not look at the odds nor focus on the shear monumental task we face. We are to, as David did, remember who we serve, which is an all-powerful, all-knowing, and ever-present God. Furthermore, we are to remember who He made us to be in battle. This is not to say we do not grow spiritually to better arm ourselves for battle. But we are to trust God gave us all we need when the battle occurs. So, let us go into battle remembering we are God’s army and we will win no matter what the odds are. What battle scares you today? How can knowing who you are and whose you are strengthen you for victory? My prayer is that we trust in God for our inevitable victory where you can hear others say like the announcer, “Unbelievable!” Amen!
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Kent
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