“If you read the David and Goliath story as if it’s about you facing your giants, you’ll probably just feel discouraged and ashamed of your own cowardice. But if you see the story as Jesus does — a story of His saving work — you’ll revel in Christ’s defeat of Satan and find yourself whooping a victory shout as you rout your own Philistines.”- Alan Wright
Alan Wright concludes Chapter 12 of Seeing as Jesus Sees with the account of David and Goliath. Certainly, Pastor Wright admits, it would be wonderful to be more like David. To employ all these principles in our daily lives. But there’s a problem with telling you to be more like David. That statement fails to empower you to put that idea into effect.
However, you develop a different outlook when you look at the David and Goliath story through the eyes of Jesus. Because in doing so you quit placing yourself in the role of the hero. In addition, you realize that the shepherd who risks his life for the sheep and faces a warrior twice his size sounds a lot like Jesus.
Instead, it’s much easier to identify with the cowardly Israelite soldiers. They dressed for battle every day but never took on Goliath. Consequently, Alan explains:
“The fearful, trapped Hebrews needed a better, braver representative to do for them what they couldn’t do for themselves. When David fought for them, they were, figuratively, in David. What he fought, he fought for all his own. What he won, he won for all aligned with him. . . . When you ask Jesus how He sees Scripture, He’ll show you how a story like David and Goliath is about Jesus’ triumph. . . . He’s the hero who conquers on behalf of all His own.”
In conclusion, Alan exhorts, ask the Savior to take the lid off God’s Word on a regular basis. The Bible reveals Jesus Himself, our “once upon a time.”
Today’s question: What helps you see as Jesus sees when facing your giants? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Holy moments, ordinary moments”
