Living the life God intended

Hi how are you all today? We had an amazing day in church last Sunday on Pentecost Sunday- a time of healing and refreshing. How was church for you?

This week I want to consider the statement “give me a man”. This quote comes directly from 1 Samuel 17:10. This was what Goliath shouted out to the Israelites when they were fighting with the Philistines. The Philistines decided they didn’t want to kill all the Israelites but wanted to instead enslave them – verse 9. So they decided to try the tactic of one man only on each side to fight and the winner gets to enslave the other side.

Let’s have a think on this scene for a few minutes and compare it to our own lives. There is someone yelling this out to us everyday. Give me a man so I can tempt you to fall away from what you believe in and then you will become enslaved to me. This being that utters these words to us is satan. In John 10:10, Jesus states that the thief comes to steal and kill and destroy. That is Satan’s mission he has placed over himself.

The people in the Old Testament had no way to escape it unless they gave a lot of sacrifices. But even that didn’t totally cleanse them and take away their guilt.

Satan comes to steal us away from God and the things of God, to destroy our relationship with Him and then to kill our chances of going to heaven. Everyday people fall into this trap. That’s why it is important to keep praying for our loved ones and friends that have been deceived into taking this road.

So what should our response be to Satan when he tries to trick us? Let’s go back to 1 Samuel 17. Will we be like King Saul and the Israelites who became dismayed and greatly afraid in verse 11? They even fled when they saw Goliath in verse 24.

Alternatively, will we be like David who said in verse 32, I will go and fight with him. What – a mere boy? But David was taking Someone else with him into the battle that Goliath couldn’t see. In verse 45, David told Goliath that he comes, not with physical weapons, but in the Name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

This is what we need to do when Satan comes around and says give me a man. We need to say , fine, I will give you Jesus whom you crucified but God raised from the dead. You didn’t defeat Him then and you won’t defeat Him now. The Word of God is my shield and you can’t get through it.

In James 4:7, it tells us to submit to God, resist the devil and he will flee. When we submit to God and give Him first place then when Satan yells out give me a man, he will see Jesus and retreat,

So this week, when Satan comes prowling around, keep your eyes on God for the battle is not yours but Gods.

Have a great week and keep living the life God intended for you.

Bless you heaps

Karen