ODJ: hands free
So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning with the gifts, as Jesse had directed him (v.20).
READ: 1 Samuel 17:19-23, 41-51
Around our house, I am lovingly known as “the pack mule.” I have an incessant desire to carry everything from the car in one load. Whether I’m walking across the grass or trying to haul an entire shopping trip in two hands, I always look for the shortest distance between two points. Heaven forbid that I should have to make multiple trips. More than once, I’ve discovered the inconvenience (and groceries-damaging practice) of trying to unlock the door with full hands.
Detailing David’s battle with Goliath, 1 Samuel 17 takes us from his home to the frontlines. In the story, two phrases often get overlooked for their simplicity. Verse 20 says, “So David left the sheep with another shepherd,” while verse 22 tells us, “David left his things with the keeper of the supplies.”
When thinking about facing a Goliath, we want to know what the battle will demand. Will we have the faith to stand as David did? (vv.45-47). Will we have the confidence to reject man’s ideas in order to use the weapons the Lord chooses? (vv.38-40). Our actions away from the battlefront hardly seem relevant.
But for David, victory wouldn’t have come without his willingness to leave his sheep and his belongings behind. Imagine going to war with a flock and baggage in tow. Though he was not looking for a fight, David’s ability to leave the right things behind made him ready.
Though the battle looks different for us, the principle is the same: God may ask us to leave what we’re doing so that we can carry out His new assignment (v.20).
When Goliath shows up, will you be ready? —Regina Franklin
Why is it difficult to entrust the things we value to someone else’s care? Is there anything in particular God is asking you to lay down so your hands can be free?
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Loading ...ODB: a mighty stream
March 3, 2010
READ: Amos 5:21-27
Let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream. —Amos 5:24
When I was a young teenager, my dad, uncles, cousins, and I went trout fishing at the head waters of the Sacramento River in California. The source of the river is melted snow, so the water was swift, clear, cold, and refreshing. My cousins and I couldn’t resist stepping into the cool current while angling for rainbow trout.
On the way home, we stopped for a dip in a pond that was far different. The pond water was warm, and it smelled stagnant. It contrasted greatly with that swiftly flowing, invigorating stream.
The prophet Amos used the metaphor of a stream to illustrate the transforming power of righteousness. Appalled at Israel’s dead religious ritual and their exploitation of the poor (Amos 2:6-8; 5:21-27), he called for justice and righteousness to prevail. He saw that God’s people were stuck in the stagnant pond of injustice toward others when what they needed was a life marked by “righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Likewise, God desires for us to allow justice to “run down like water” from our lives. One way that can happen is to strive for just laws and to champion loving care for the poor. May we seek to be a part of God’s mighty stream of His righteousness until Christ returns. — Dennis Fisher
Righteousness follows when truth springs into action.
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