God Uses the Underrated -Day 196 Month 7-14 Week 28-7
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
1 Samuel 17:20-58, Proverbs 7:6-27, Ezekiel 1:22-2:10, Acts 23:23-35
God uses the Underrated
In the last year or so, I have been stung by two wasps. Both times were unexpected because I did not know I was near their nests. The sudden pain made me realize I had been stung, but eventually the pain faded away. I am fortunate that I am not allergic to wasp stings. Someone came into the hardware store a week ago and bought a couple of cans of wasp foam. I said, “It’s wasp season,” to which he responded, “It sure is.” He went on to explain that he is allergic to wasps and that, when he removed a nest a week earlier, his wife stood nearby with his epipen. If it were not for the invention of epipens, people could die from something as simple as a wasp sting.
I am allergic to tree nuts. My allergy is not as severe as that of some others who have the same condition, but the principle is the same. If I unknowingly eat tree nuts, I am at risk of death. I remember once enjoying Christmas celebrations at my sister’s home in New Brunswick. Someone had made a delicious pâté but was unaware of my allergy. I spread some on a cracker, and the first taste was wonderful. Unfortunately, within seconds, I realized that it contained tree nuts. The next hour was one of the most difficult of my life. I did not have an epipen because this was before they were commonly available, and I was an hour away from the nearest medical facility. I am writing this today, so clearly I survived, but it was the closest brush with death that I have ever experienced.
David was still a youth when he went into battle against the Philistine giant, Goliath. David possessed something that none of the soldiers in Israel’s army, including King Saul, seemed to have at that moment. He had faith and trust in God. Saul underestimated him because of his age and because he had not been trained as a warrior. David replied that he had already killed both a lion and a bear while protecting his sheep, and he did not see how Goliath would be any different. Somehow, that confidence satisfied Saul.
Goliath underestimated David as well. Looking at David’s youth and lack of armour, he assumed that David's presence was a joke. Yet, much like a wasp sting or a walnut to someone with severe allergies, David struck Goliath with a stone to the forehead. Goliath fell to the ground and, in a scene that grosses me out, David cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword.
I see several lessons in this story. Here are a couple of them.
Do not underestimate people. The army of Israel, the king, and Goliath himself all underestimated David. Yet David, though still young, carried the Spirit of God with him. Because of that, he saw beyond the fear of the king and army of Israel and recognized what God intended to do.
The circumstances and experiences of a person’s life often prepare them for greater things. David learned to fight while protecting sheep from lions and bears. Although he had already been anointed as king, I suspect he had no idea that, while still in his youth, he would soon be called upon to save Israel. He thought he was simply bringing food to his brothers.
I have a friend who was with me when we illegally drag raced cars on back roads in our late teens and early twenties. A few years later, when he was engaged and studying to become a pastor, we found ourselves in a small gathering with his future in-laws. Thinking I was being funny, I made a comment about our racing days. My friend immediately gave me a look of panic and began nodding for me to stop. I quickly realized that he had never told his future in laws about our rebellious years. To make matters even more awkward, his future father in law was a police officer.
A few years later, we were able to laugh about the poor timing of my humour. At the same time, we both realized that those earlier experiences, even the ones we are not especially proud of, have shaped us into the people we are today.
If we are willing, God can use every experience, both good and bad, to accomplish His purposes. We simply need to remain open to His leadership.
Have a great day!
Steve
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