When David Heard

 

They trembled in fear when King Saul and his soldiers heard Goliath’s threats and ridicule of the God of Israel. Even the sight of the almost 10-foot giant paralyzed them with fear. For forty days, twice a day, the giant proclaimed what he would do if any Israelite dared to fight him. However, when the 17-year-old David heard the giant, he responded differently. David wanted to know why nobody had done anything. He wanted to see why this Philistine could still mock the God of Israel and not be stopped.

Amazing things happen when you really hear. David heard what Goliath was saying; he listened to the arrogance, the mockery. He also attended the silence of the army of Israel and the silence of King Saul.

I have heard the Goliath of today shouting that a baby in the womb does not have the right to live. In fact, the giant mocks the belief that the baby is a real human being. Some say that abortion should be left up to each state. We tried that with slavery, and it didn’t work because it was a moral issue, just like abortion.

I have heard today’s Goliath shout that any male who claims to be a girl has the right to enter a girl’s bathroom or locker room. The idea of biological men identifying as women has taken hold in our culture, and people are now afraid to speak against this insanity.

I have heard this Goliath tell us that kindergarteners must hear about all forms of sexuality. He demands the right for drag queens to read their stories to our children. If an adult chooses to change their gender, they can do that, but they do not have the right to indoctrinate a child. This giant is intimidating because he is the media, big government, big corporations, and overwhelming culture.

I have heard this Goliath demean us with racist language that pits one race against another. Our nation, indeed, has a long and dreadful history of racial hatred, which is sinful and ugly. But the proposed solution to this problem is a lie. Hate for hate is no answer.

I have heard Goliath bragging that he will force Christian business owners of faith to celebrate a union to which they are religiously opposed.

I have heard this Goliath tell Christians they have no right to speak on any public issue because they are Christians. They are free to practice their faith in private but not in a public way. Once you have heard Goliath, you cannot be silent.

Grace Teaches us How to Say No and Yes

The Apostle Paul wrote to Titus words of advice that I am sure were a great blessing. Listen to these words that the young Titus must have absorbed: For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age (Titus 2:11-12).

Learning to say no to our ungodly impulses and yes to self-controlled living is not merely a matter of willpower but depends on our relationship with Christ. We don’t usually think of God’s grace as giving us the power to say no to ungodliness, but that’s what this passage says. Our success in the Christian life is proportional to our daily dependence on Jesus. The success of our marriage depends on controlling our emotions, just as parenting does. This is precisely what Paul is talking about. When we make emotional decisions, they are usually not good ones, and when we make thoughtful decisions empowered by the grace of God, they lead us on the right path. This path brings blessings to our lives.

Ungodliness is everywhere around us and in us. We are born with a sinful nature and raised by parents with a sinful nature. Our culture is ungodly, and sin abounds all around us. We will face temptations and must be armed with the power to say no, just like Joseph, who said no in a culture that never said no.

God’s grace empowers us to say no to things we don’t need, which will harm us. But that same grace gives us the ability to say yes to godliness. It is incredible to say no to sin and yes to godliness. That is the essence of living a Spirit-empowered life. The results of such choices produce results that bring blessings and prevent the dreaded consequences of sin.

Seeing the Way God Sees

Seeing the way God sees is very difficult for us. First of all, we are human beings. Secondly, we judge things by how they look. God told Samuel that “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7). The context of this was the choosing of David as the next king of Israel. What was strange about the choice was that David was only a teenager. He had none of the experience of a grown man. Samuel had immediately eyed his older brothers as suitable candidates, but God said no to them. I think the following story illustrates how we mistakenly see the value of a life from the way God sees it.

This little story called Autumn Dance, written by Robin Jones Gunn, illustrates that the quality of life is not dependent upon perfect circumstances.

 

She stood a short distance from her guardian at the park this afternoon, her distinctive features revealing that although her body blossomed into young adulthood, her mind would always remain a child’s. My children ran and jumped and sifted sand through perfect, coordinated fingers. Caught up in fighting over a shovel, they didn’t notice when the wind changed, but she did—a wild autumn wind spinning leaves into amber flurries.

 

I called to my boisterous son and jostled my daughter. “Time to go. Mom still has lots to do today.” My rosy-cheeked boy stood tall watching with wide-eyed fascination the gyrating dance of the Down syndrome girl as she scooped up leaves and showered herself with the twirling rain of autumn jubilation. With each twist and hop she sang deep, earthy grunts, a canticle of praise meant only for the One whose breath causes the leaves to tremble from the trees.

 

“Hurry up. Let’s go. Seatbelts on.” I start the car. In the rearview mirror I study her one more time through misty eyes, and then the tears come—not tears of pity for her. The tears are from me, for I am far too sophisticated to publicly shout praises to my Creator. I am whole and intelligent and normal, and so I weep because I will never know the severe mercy that frees such a child and bids her come dance in the autumn leaves.