Lions of Grace
David had to face down lions and bears as a shepherd--life-threatening dangers. He could have ran, tried to protect himself, refused to face down those life-threatening beasts, could have given up and ran, thrown his hands up in despair, and many more things. They are all natural reactions to danger. Yet, David faced those dangers, those times when life was not easy but faced him with fierce fangs and terrorizing jaws and claws, those dark-valley-moments-of-fear in his life. He wrestled with them.
Big instances in his life, yet who knew how momentous... Perhaps David put a notch in his belt, wiped his brow (Whew! Survived that! Hope I don't have to go through that again!), and went on caring for his sheep.
Yet, God used those lions for greater things. He wove that life-threatening fear into the greater purpose of David's life and his glory. "But David said to Saul, 'Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.' And David said, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you!'” (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
It was because he had been through that danger, that fear, that he had lions in his life that he had the faith to face Goliath and the faith to became king. Those lions were instruments that God used to form him into the king and the servant of God that David was. They were lions of grace.
Many of us are facing our own lions--a plaguing sin, cancer, job loss, fear, a broken relationship, depression, addiction, doubts, and more. These lions are scary, painful, and more. These lions are real, some are physically life-threatening, others are emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically life-threatening. We do not know the outcome; the lion looks fierce and overpowering. It is not an easy word to say or believe or understand: they are still lions of grace. It is not said lightly, but they are still lions of grace. Even if it is a sin or an addiction, God can use that to form us into a stronger Christian who can later help others (2 Cor. 1). Lions of grace.
To each of my readers, may you see his hand, may he strengthen your faith, may he strengthen you physically and heal you, may he free you from your addiction or depression, or whatever lion confronts you, but above all, may he give you a great sense of his presence. It is the Lord who is sovereign over those lions, the Lord who delivers us from those lions (however that deliverance may look), and it is the Lord who is with us as we face those lions of his grace.
Big instances in his life, yet who knew how momentous... Perhaps David put a notch in his belt, wiped his brow (Whew! Survived that! Hope I don't have to go through that again!), and went on caring for his sheep.
Yet, God used those lions for greater things. He wove that life-threatening fear into the greater purpose of David's life and his glory. "But David said to Saul, 'Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.' And David said, 'The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul said to David, 'Go, and the Lord be with you!'” (1 Samuel 17:34-37).
It was because he had been through that danger, that fear, that he had lions in his life that he had the faith to face Goliath and the faith to became king. Those lions were instruments that God used to form him into the king and the servant of God that David was. They were lions of grace.
Many of us are facing our own lions--a plaguing sin, cancer, job loss, fear, a broken relationship, depression, addiction, doubts, and more. These lions are scary, painful, and more. These lions are real, some are physically life-threatening, others are emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically life-threatening. We do not know the outcome; the lion looks fierce and overpowering. It is not an easy word to say or believe or understand: they are still lions of grace. It is not said lightly, but they are still lions of grace. Even if it is a sin or an addiction, God can use that to form us into a stronger Christian who can later help others (2 Cor. 1). Lions of grace.
To each of my readers, may you see his hand, may he strengthen your faith, may he strengthen you physically and heal you, may he free you from your addiction or depression, or whatever lion confronts you, but above all, may he give you a great sense of his presence. It is the Lord who is sovereign over those lions, the Lord who delivers us from those lions (however that deliverance may look), and it is the Lord who is with us as we face those lions of his grace.
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