Deadly Fast Ball.....

One of my favorite Bible stories as a child was the tale of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. During my trip to Israel, we visited the valley where this story took place. There was no church or plaque to commemorate what happened here, which is why it became one of my favorite sites. Standing at this place, I could still see the Israelites and Philistines on either side of the valley while David threw the pitch of all pitches.

Video from David & Goliath Site:


Until my trip I had always envisioned the stone David threw as a tiny stone like what I skip in the mountains, certainly not a rock the size of a softball. No wonder Goliath fell over!

However, as I have reflected on this story, reading it several times over, I think that the size of the stone had nothing to do with David's victory. Instead, the victory happened all because of a particular name - the Name of the Lord.

In 1 Samuel 17:45 David proclaims a powerful word when he says "You (Goliath & rest of Philistines) come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied."

When I read this passage, my mind was drawn to another story, one that is becoming a favorite, as I'm currently a child in ministry: Acts 3- The Healing of the Crippled Beggar. Like David, Peter and John used the same power to heal, the name of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promises from Genesis to Revelation and it is through him that we have a right relationship with God.

The question that God has convicted me of is "Whose power do I daily rely on in ministry and life?"

David, Peter and John are heroes of our faith not because of power that they had in and of themselves, but because they lived everyday relying on God's power to work through them to impact people.

Today I challenge you to ask God where or to whom He would have you to go and offer spiritual healing in the name of Jesus Christ. Know that if you have a relationship with Jesus Christ that the Lord Almighty now lives and works in you. Don't waste the "today" that God has given you to impact and influence people for His Name.

• Oh God, by Your Name work in us today to reach this dying world with your Gospel.