“Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks? Come here,” he jeers, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” (I Samuel 17:44) Silly man. He thinks his size will save him. He puts his trust in the metal that covers his body. In God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? (Psalm 56:4)

I hear the shouts coming at me from every direction, both from those in my camp and those in my enemies’. They find me incredulous to face this giant, but I’ll tell you what is incredulous. This man. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? (I Samuel 17:26b) My God is much bigger than any “champion.”

“Hey monster-man, you 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.” He laughs and snorts, thinking my God to be as powerless as his. “This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands” (I Samuel 17:45-47).

A hush falls over the land as I place one of my smooth rocks in my sling and aim at the only non-protected part of his body: his forehead. The earth shakes as his body falls to the ground. I triumph over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in (my) hand (I) struck down the Philistine and killed him (I Samuel 17:50).

Friend, what are the giants in your life and what are you focused on? Do you see God’s supernatural ability, or do you see their fancy weaponry and compare it to the few “meaningless” stones in your pouch? Does the size of whatever you’re up against haunt you? Does that which you are called to seem too enormous? Are you overwhelmed? Feel unequipped? Ill prepared? Abandoned? I can’t promise every rock will bring your Goliaths down, but I guarantee there is one rock that will never fail you.

“There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. I Samuel 2:2

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that the “man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him . . .will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7b-18)

Are you like me and find yourself envying this man/tree? My worries are ample, and I can readily produce a list of fears. Yet, I can’t believe Jeremiah drew this analogy merely to make us jealous, for the prophets’ words contain a promise to you and me. As with many Biblical promises, it comes with a condition. What is this condition? Confidence in the Lord. Trust in the Savior. Total surrender to our Abba Daddy. It’s that simple, and yet that difficult. And the promise we’ll receive if we choose to accept this condition? Roots that extend to the stream. Unlimited water. Flowing nutrition. Safety. Protection. Security.

Is it worth trusting in the LORD and placing your confidence in Him? That is a question that only you can answer. I can merely tell you how my heart responds as it loudly proclaims, “Yes!”

Are you thirsty –parched from trying to balance your worries and fears? Jesus offered the solution to this when he spoke to the woman at the well. He said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14) Let’s trust our Maker more intimately and stretch our roots to this living water!

This is a beautiful portrayal of the body of Christ.  As Krista shared in The Greatest Stories Ever Told, we all have our own testimonies, which paint our individual tiles.  What is beyond my comprehension is how God can take all of our tiles and put them together to create a magnificent display.

So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”  Romans 12:5-8

Sweet, sweet baby
So tender and pure
Allowing me to care for you
Savoring my touch

Smiling
Laughing
Anything Just for my attention

Do you not know?
You have my heart.

I wrote these very simple words for my son, thinking of the times he does a reverse belly laugh to get me to put down the dishtowel and play with him. As I smother his face once again with kisses, the most innocent, awe-inspiring, holy sound comes from his mouth: a blissful squeal. His contented heart cries out in joy as he receives his "prize."

Just a few short moments after penning this poem, my Savior quietly whispered to me. ?Read it again. These are my words to you, child.?

Fighting back tears, I’m astonished by the ways I try to earn God’s love, all the while being reminded this beautiful, sacred gift is already mine.

Oh dear, sweet Jesus. Thank you for your love.

Worthless.

Have you seen it? I’d wager it’s written across much more than the back of a 4×4. It?s something many of us have allowed to be engraved upon our very souls. A teenage child highlighting our inadequacies. Divorce. Being looked over for a promotion or raise. A friend turning their back on us. We’ve come to allow these and so much more to print something across our hearts, a morbid lie that cripples and defines us.

Worthless. Incompetent. Disgraceful.

Blinking back tears, I pondered what would cause someone to paste such a dreadful statement on their car. Surely it couldn’t represent the condition of the vehicle, for it clearly was a new model. Had the owner bought into the deception, just as I have on so many occasions, underestimating her value and position? How I wish I could give her the following “bumper sticker,” the same one I hope will replace the lie we’ve accepted:

Oh, my child. Do you not know? Have you not heard? I, the LORD your God, am with you. I am mighty to save. I take great delight in you. I will quiet you with my love. Oh, sweet, sweet child. Do you know I rejoice over you with singing? (Zephaniah 3:17) You are my beloved. You are so very valuable to me. I love you.