What is your lion? What is your bear?
Many of us are familiar with the story of David, how when he was just a shepherd he went up against a giant named Goliath. He slew the Philistine warrior with a simple sling and stone, and the power of the the Lord!
But did David always have the faith that caused him to not just fight Goliath, but to volunteer and run to the fight while trained soldiers would not?
Why would he do that? What would make him believe he could succeed?
Saul wondered the same thing when he told David, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth." 1 Sam 17:33 (NIV)
Yet David had confidence, he replied to Saul remembering his own history of walking with the Lord
"But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Sam 17:34 -37 (NIV)
David had a history with the Lord, and he knew he could face the giant because he was ready to.
Take a moment, think about some victories the Lord has given you; write them down, post them so you can see them and remember. Because we do face problems in our lives, like giants. Remembering what God has already brought us through can help us to defeat them.
Remember your lion and your bear.
