June 25, 2006
Think of a time when you were afraid ....
Some people have recurring fears .... like those who are afraid of flying, or afraid of heights or water.
Others have fears around specific situations.
1
When I was a kid .... I was afraid of LEROY. He was the
school bully (but in those days we didn't call them bullys).
He wasn't all that bigger than most but he was BAD. He
had no respect for anyone or anything ... and he had no
moral conscience to guide him (at least not as far as the rest
of us could tell).
- he would hit people
- Intimidate folks
- Be just NASTY
He terrorized the playground .. no matter how hard we
tried, no one could win Leroy over. And he couldn't be
reasoned with.
WE WERE ALL AFRAID OF LEROY
2
When I was a teenager, our band flew to England on a
concert tour. It was my first time on a plane EVER. And I
was about everything. But on the way over, the weather
got a bit rough ... and our small plane (I think it was a
DC9) was tossed back and forth ... I've flown since then,
and loved every minute of it.
But at that moment, in that space ... I was scared.
3
When Kennedy was born, the doctor was a bit concerned
about something or other, so called the special baby crash
cart .... And before she was even 5 seconds old, she was
whisked away to their corner of the delivery room where
she was given a full check-up. Before we had a chance to
really worry, she was given a clean bill of health and back in
our arms ...
But in that moment .... And despite the doctor's assurance that everything would be fine
... We were VERY afraid.
The People of Israel were afraid .. and with very good
reason to be. You and I know the David and Goliath story
from THIS side of things ... but they were in the middle of
it. Just listen to this passage ,,, from just before the story we
heard.
1 Samuel 17: 1- 11 ....
Whether it is Goliath or Leroy, tall buildings, spiders, deep
water, or even death. Just about everyone is afraid of
something.
And in the end .. no matter what it IS we are afraid of,
it usually comes down to one thing:
those things which are out of our control
It's the things that we cannot control that bog us down the most.
But have faith. If we can TRUST that God will see us
through ... then we will find (just as the Jews did when they
saw Goliath fall to the ground) that all will be well.
The challenge comes in letting GOD be in control.
And not ourselves.
We have seen time and time again the POWER of God to overcome any and all obstacles:
- in the stories of the Bible
- in our history as a church
- in our individual lives
And all we have to do is have faith.
Faith in the one who created us
(and who has loved us from the start)
Faith in the one who walked on the waters of Galilee and
who had the power to calm the wind and the waves.
And Faith in the one who carries us through the storms
and uncertainties and fears of the world we NOW live in.
And if we can do that ....
If we can stay faithful even in the midst of the situations or
people or things that terrify us, then ... and not panic ...
Then it will be much easier for us to recognize the
David's in our lives, when they emerge from the shadow
of our Goliath's.
Do not be afraid .... Have faith.
