Power Living

Well Team,

I didn't make the cut - as in- I didn't get the position at the Jr. High I was hoping to get. As for the test - well - I am still waiting - two more weeks. So how am I doing? Great!

Seriously....okay - last night I did cry and feel sorry for myself and wanted to go to Sonic for a Banana Cream Pie shake or chocolate malt but that would have busted my 20 lbs in 20 days goal (saw that in the paper this week-really I did- and I have created my own plan to get there but we won't get on that subject) - Back to crying and feeling sorry for myself -that would be the Jaye thing to do - first - until I got a grip. Actually, I didn't even cry that much. Must be getting tough.....or experienced with these sharp left and right turns God guides me through....LOL.....Went to bed with Scarlett O-Hara's words on my lips, "Tomorrah is anothuh day." And it is.

I got up this morning, made coffee, went out on the patio to sit in my hammock swing to contemplate my future. As I sat there staring out over the lake and at the mountains, the Lord directed my thoughts to David and Goliath. Funny place to venture huh? I opened my bible to I Samuel 17 and read this story and let the Lord speak to my heart. Have ya'll read this story lately? Good, because I am going to tell it to you the way God spoke it to me today.

David has gone out to the valley of Elah to bring food to his brothers and bring back news to his father over how the boys are doing. When David gets there, there is this stand off between the Israelies and the Philistine army. Goliath is taunting the Israelites and David hears it and sees the Israelites flee and run from the giant as he throws his taunts. David is puzzled by this and asks the men:
Verse 26: "What is going to happen to the person who kills this Philistine and take the reproach from Israel? And furthermore (my words), who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should taunt the armies of the Living God?" In other words, what are you going to do about it?
David's brother Eliab gets angry at David for coming to the battlefield. (Not sure why - he doesn't have very nice words for David but it is evident he doesn't want David down there) and I love David's words.
Verse 29: "What have I done now? Was it not just a question?" (Does that sound like a little brother or what?)
Then David volunteers to go fight the giant. Saul tells him, "You are just a kid. How can you possibly fight a giant who has been trained for battle since his youth?"
Still David is not deterred. In fact, David utters these powerful words: "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." David is basically saying to Saul and the Israelites, "Don't you know the God you serve? No one but no one taunts our God and with the help of the Lord I am going to prove it to you."
David is just a kid but he is a kid who knows who his God is - totally. And he is not afraid of facing the giant because of the knowledge and revelation he possesses. This is power living! Or as pastor Dan says, "Living in High Definition" The next part is even better....

Saul tries to outfit David with armor,helmet and sword but it doesn't work for David. He isn't used to it and honestly, he doesn't need it. He is going out to battle in the strength and might of the Lord. He tells Saul, "Thanks, but no thanks." And he marches onto the battlefield. Goliath and David start walking toward each other and as Goliath nears, he realizes David is just a kid and is disgusted by the fact. David gets close to the Philistine and I can just see him stopping, planting his feet and shouting out to Goliath:

Verse 45-47: "You come to me with sword, spear and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands."

Ummm....fighting words for sure....and Goliath rises and came and drew near to David - but DAVID ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine! This is so awesome! David runs to meet the challenge! No weak-kneed, timid entry for him - just go for it! just do it! And - what is even better is that he doesn't fumble in his bag for a stone and nervously put it in the sling hoping for the best - David confidently reaches in, grabs the stone, positions it in the sling and slings it at the giant and nails him in the forehead and kills him. Then just for good measure and to make his words true, David uses Goliath's sword to cut the giant's head off and brought the head to Saul. Wow! This passage shouts power and confidence!

So - what did this say to me in my situation today? I am going to be like young David. I know the God I serve and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I can walk in confidence in the power and might of His name. I don't have to fumble around for a bag of tricks I am hoping will work. The Lord's aim and direction is true even if it looks a little crazy to me.
I spent the last 5 months of the school year doing something I absolutely loved and I believe God directed me there. Getting to teach was just another step in the journey of life of directing me where I need to go.

The older I get the more I realize that life is a journey. I have said those words before but I am still learning to believe them. I will probably never stand on top of a mountain and plant my flag and say I have arrived - Please God - I hope I never do. My life journey may be like a butterfly - to flutter here and there - rest awhile - leave a mark on a life and/or take the mark someone embellishes me with and move on to the next adventure. However -whatever my life looks like, I want it to be a power-living, power-walking life like David. To walk forward in confidence, running to meet the challenge head held high and smiling and nailing the lesson or challenge thrown before me. Now that is Power - Living!