Is There Not A Cause?

1 Samuel 17:

“And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath…and…said, ‘I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.’ Then as he (David) talked with them (his brothers), there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard him. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid…Then David spike to the men who stood by him, saying, ‘what shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?’ …and he (Eliab) said, ‘Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your hear, for you have come down to see the battle.’ And David said, ‘What have I done now? Is there not a cause?’´

We tell the story to our children. We daydream about the battles of the great King David and secretly wish we had it within us to be a giant slayer. We sigh and wonder what it would have been like to have lived in the days of warriors – of giant killers. So we daydream and we wish only to turn out the light after the bed time story missing the fact that not much has changed in the last few thousand years.

David’s giant was one of physical stature - beefy arms, hugs sword, 9 feet tall; the giants of our day may look a bit different but they are no less real and no less defying God and His people. The apostle Paul states “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Eph 6:12

Too often I find myself in the place of fantasy wishing to be someone of significance like David was, someone who made a difference – yet I find that it often never hits my reality. What if I took the Apostle Paul’s words literally and recognized that there are giants that roam this land that go unchallenged.? Goliath mocked the Israelites 40 days before someone had the nerve to stand against him. Is it possible that I was I born for more then just living a comfortable life? Can life truly be comfortable and what God intended under the rule of giants like fear, divorce, rebellion, selfishness, drunkenness, sensuality, immorality, perversion, abuse, lust and dishonesty? As I ponder this question I can’t help but look back on human history and notice the repercussions of being ruled by an oppressive source. It always ends in death and destruction. Who will have the nerve, the gumption, the backbone and the passion to stand up to the giants of our day? Are there those who like David will look beyond their own life, safety, comfort, even ability (David had never fought a giant before) and see what needs done?

Hebrews 10:39 “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.”

In his willingness to stand up to Goliath and believe the promises of God I have to wonder what battles were never fought, wars that never raged … simply because a shepherd boy took God at his word and was willing to stand up when everyone else cowered…even at the risk of his own life.

The obstacles are the giants of the land. The prize are the souls of a generation. The warrior…is me.

BECAUSE TRULY… IS THERE NOT A CAUSE?