Bible Stories Are for Today–God Does Not Change

Bible stories weren’t meant to be just stories from long ago, but stories that God uses to teach us about who He is. The Lord’s character does not change, that is one thing we can be sure of!

The story of David and Goliath is a lesson about faith in the Lord. I love to read the stories like this one from the Bible because even though we are not the intended audience (as with all stories from the Old Testament) they still speak to us right where we are. 

“All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s.” (1 Samuel 17:48, NIV)

This is a story about a boy who had more courage than men twice his age. I have to admit sometimes I feel as small as David but need to be reminded of the confidence that the Lord gave David on this day. I find myself praying for God to mold my heart to be more like David’s. After all it is David that God describes as “a man after my own heart.” (Acts 13:22) I know God always wants us to know that even if our prayers aren’t answered overnight, He will work on our hearts each day. As there are new opportunities each morning that teach us how to trust the Lord.

In the meantime I have to remember that God is not done with me yet.

I also have to trust that God will guide me just as He did with David. So I find myself asking God to help me with my unbelief about certain situations. It is my urgent plea for God’s help so that I may see that He is mighty to save even when it looks like I will drown in my fear.

Further, at times my problems look as big as Goliath as they appear to tower over me and look indestructible. I’ve had moments when it looks like my fears will win instead of my hopes. And to be honest, I sometimes question if God is asking me to trust Him on a certain dream I have because the situation looks so impossible for anything good to happen.

But then I remember that God loves to take our lives and bless us in the most odd circumstances which further proves how awesome He truly is. We just have to trust Him in all situations no matter what it looks like. With certain seasons you may have to live a moment at a time as you learn how to trust the Lord with every part of your life.

With David’s life, his first battle was not Goliath. He was a shepherd and fought off many animals like lions and bears in order to protect the sheep. The Lord slowly built his confidence and in each battle David knew that the Lord was with him, giving him strength to overcome and to be the protector he was called to be. The same can be said with our lives. God slowly builds our confidence, our strength, and our faith, through battles in our life.

If there is anything the Bible teaches us, it is that we can trust the Lord to care for us. Too often we try to take back the things that we’ve laid at the feet of the cross. We try to do things out of our own strength and knowledge. But today we can choose (and continue to choose) to trust the Lord with our greatest dreams. Even if we don’t see that anything is happening with that dream, we can know that God is able to change our lives over night.

What certain area of your life do you see God working in?