Ordinary to Extraordinary

It is the ultimate big versus little story. In fact, when we see any kind of conflict or competition where there is a vastly outnumbered, out financed, out sized match between two people or entities, we call it a “David and Goliath” match.

This week as we embed the Bible, we come to one of the best known and most loved stories in the Bible. The story of a boy who faces a giant. Books have been written about this match-up. Sermons have been preached. Movies have taken the subject and come up with scenarios based on the biblical history, a high school football team, a college basketball team, a single mom and an insurance company, and a host of other scenarios. They all look the same. Insurmountable odds face the hero. Circumstances that are out of control or out of our control rage in someone’s life. The outcome seems sure and it is hopeless to fight. But somehow, the small chance sparks our interests and grabs hold of our hearts. We begin to hope, to cheer, to root, and to plan with the hero of the story. We begin to look for ways to overcome the obstacles or change the circumstances. We begin to look for a power that can conquer the giants.

In some ways 1 Samuel 17 is a snapshot of the life lived with God. David has spent his life bringing his heart into alignment with the heart of God. David has learned obedience to his father Jesse, and obedience to his Father in heaven. Davis has given himself fully to the task of caring for sheep, and in the process, God has taught him to care for His people. David has faced the lion and the bear, and God has brought victory and confidence into the heart of David. Now David stands before a giant. A giant that has the entire army of Israel hiding in fear. Armed with five smooth stones and a sling, the only weapon that counts in David’s arsenal is his trust in a God who is faithful. David has learned to stand on God’s side, to hear God’s voice, and to follow God’s leading.

You and I face giants every day. We live in a world that shouts defiance towards God and His will. We dwell among a people of unclean lips and unclean hearts. We see physical and material objects supplanting the treasure of God in our neighborhoods, communities, and friends. We hear the call of lust that wants us to surrender to a love of power and influence. We are tempted to make everything in our lives about ourselves. But we know that God is calling us to something different. How do we learn to surrender to God when the giants come screaming at our door? We learn to surrender in the everyday moments we live.

David’s faith does not simply appear one day as he sees Goliath. It is practiced in the “ordinary” moments that he lives. You and I live in ordinary moments. These moments are times when we must give ourselves to seeing and knowing God. Mowing the lawn needs to be an acknowledgment of the blessings God rains down on His people. Playing with our family needs to point our hearts to learning the important lessons of tenderness, gentleness, accountability, and love. Our jobs are a chance to quietly and consistently learn the lessons of integrity, faithfulness, and obedience. Each moment needs to contain a spark of the holy. We need to have open eyes to see where God is moving and open ears to hear God’s call to relationship.

The giants are coming. Are we ready to face them? Have we given ourselves to the moments of learning and trusting that comes with walking in the presence of God? Embedding the Bible is about learning to see God in the moments. The moments that we face the giants, and the moments that we face the laundry. They are connected. Tied together in our hearts. When we learn to give our hearts to God in the ordinary, He can use us in the extraordinary!