Inspiring others
by Charles Bertelsmeier
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When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines (1 Samuel 17:51b,52a).
So here is the situation: the Philistines are camped on a hill on one side of the valley. They vastly outnumber the Israelite army, and they have the monster, Goliath, on their side. On the other side of the valley are the Israelites, afraid and not knowing what to do. They are busy searching within their ranks for someone brave enough to take on Goliath.
Then God steps in, with the aid of this young lad, a shepherd boy, with no army experience. God guides the stone from the slingshot to land in the middle of Goliath’s skull. When David kills Goliath, both the Philistines and Israelites see this as a miracle from God. God proves to be more powerful than Goliath, and the Philistines, realising that they cannot fight this awesome God of the Israelites, try to get out of there as fast as they can.
On the other hand, the Israelites finally find some backbone and head after the fleeing Philistines with devastating effect.
Many of you reading this may be facing your own ‘Philistines’ at the moment. It might be related to health, finances or relationships. Talk to your Heavenly Father about your struggles. Seek his wisdom on whom the ‘shepherd boy kids’ will be in your life to encourage you and help you see the way forward. They may be medical professionals, counsellors or just friends who have been there before you. Grab your Bible and read some of the psalms and see how others have dealt with the pain they are feeling.
Heavenly Father, when we are in pain of whatever kind, it is hard not to be dominated by it. It saps our strength and the joy of anything in life. Thank you for understanding. We thank you that your Son went through the pain of rescuing us from our self‑centred lives so that we could be restored as your children. Thank you, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for being with us in our pain and staying with us all the way through it. Amen.
Charles is a retired engineer who has worked on communications projects for the air force, army and navy. He lives in a retirement village in the outer north-western suburbs of Sydney with his wife, Diane. Together, they have four children and eight grandchildren, all of whom they love spending time with. Charles keeps busy caring for their pot plants and a community vegetable garden, researching his family history and volunteering in the community and at LifeWay Lutheran Church.
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