“My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.”
~ Psalm 131:1
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like to get rewards? Do you try to do really well in school so that you will get rewards? How many awards have you gotten so far? How many rewards to your think David was given? Your grandpaa several years ago read a book that had been written by Max Lucado. Max Lucado entitled this book Facing Your Giants. At the back of Facing Your Giants are reflective questions about what Max Lucado wrote about in each chapter of his book. Your grandpaa just checked a website where Facing Your Giants is being promoted. The website has a blurb which sums up what Max Lucado sees as what are giants and how he wrote about giants in his book: ‘You know your Goliath. You recognize his walk, the thunder of his voice. He taunts you with bills you can’t pay, people you can’t please, habits you can’t break, failures you can’t forget, and a future you can’t face. But just like David, you can face your giant, even if you aren’t the strongest, the smartest, the best equipped, or the holiest. David. You could read his story and wonder what God saw in him. His life has little to offer the unstained, straight-A saint. He fell as often as he stood, stumbled as often as he conquered. But for those who know the sound of a Goliath, David gives this reminder: Focus on giants—you stumble. Focus on God—your giants tumble. If you’re ready to face your giants, let his story inspire you. The same God who helped him will help you.’ When your grandpaa flew to Thailand about two months ago with Adventures In Missions September 2007 World Race team, your grandpaa took with him a Facing Your Giants book. Your grandpaa was hoping that the four different squads would each go through the book during the eleven months that they would be in the eleven different countries that Adventures In Missions selected for them to be in during their World Race. Your grandpaa thinks that Facing Your Giants would be a good book for your dad and ma to read. When you get older, your grandpaa hopes that you will read Facing Your Giants, too. Facing Your Giants is to your grandpaa both an easy and an easily applicative and meaningful read.
There were seven boys and two sisters in David’s family. David was the youngest boy. David’s grandma’s name was Ruth. Because David was the youngest boy in his family, he had to take care of the sheep that his dad owned. Even though David was the youngest boy in his family, David was God’s pick to succeed Saul as king over the guys and gals who were living in the land area of Israel. When David one day took some food to his bros who were in the Israelite people group army, David did the impossible when he killed a literal enemy giant using a rock and a slingshot. David was rewarded for what he did. David was given accolades. David was musically gifted. David played a lyre. David wrote songs. David probably had a very good singing voice. Do you like to be given rewards for individual accomplishments that you are really good at? Do you like to be given accolades for personal exploits that you are really talented at? Do you think that you are gifted athletically? Do you think that you are an accomplished musical instrument player? Do you think that you have an excellent singing voice? Do you think that you are a first-rate writer? Are you proud of your talents and/or abilities? Do you think that you are the best athletes in your school? Do you think that you are the smartest kids in your school? Do you think that you are the most personable kids in your school? Do you think that you have the greatest music abilities in your school? Do you think that you are the best writers in your school? David at one time maybe thought that he was the best of the best. When David got older, David realized how purposelessness it was for him to value his life by the exceptional things that he had been able to do. David would write a short song psalm of ascents – which is now Psalm 131, about where he landed regarding all that took place or happened in his life. Verse 1 says, “My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me.” David also wrote that he wanted to be like a four or five year old little kid who is still innocent and who could still sit in the stillness and quietness of his or her life as his or her soul yearnings are being fulfilled.
In the first devotional that your grandpaa facilitates in the host country where he has gone to as the leader of a short term ministry team of guys and gals, your grandpaa uses giants in a figurative context. The devotional is based on the four giants who are found in a first Samuel Book chapter that are named and killed by four different guys from David’s pool of mighty men. Your grandpaa believes that a guy or gal will always have at least four giants in his or her life. Your grandpaa believes that as one giant takes a rock to his forehead that another giant will invariably show up to replace the dead giant. Your grandpaa believes that a guy or gal cannot kill his or her own giants. Your grandpaa believes that the only way that a guy or gal can kill a giant in his or her life is to ask another guy or gal to kill the giant for him or her. Your grandpaa believes that unconditional acceptance, unmerited affirmation and unqualified approval from other guys and gals are what will kill the giants who are in the life of a guy or gal. Your grandpaa must ask and trust his Christ-follower bros and sisters to faithfully and persistently pray for him. Your grandpaa knows that you are talented, gifted and smart kids. Your grandpaa is confident that God is going to use you for His Kingdom’s sake. Your grandpaa knows that there is nothing more important than to each day to simply rest and be still in God arms. God knows who the giants who are in your lives because He is allowing them to be there.
Psalm 131 (874)