The story of David and Goliath is everyone’s comfort Bible story: a tale passed down from generation to generation in Sunday school, the legend of a young hero conquering the impossible. We remember the miniscule silhouette of a boy brimming with youth and wit drowned out by the shadow of a giant. We remember the worn-out bag containing five little stones from a nearby river, then fast-forward to the moment when a stone struck the giant’s forehead and he toppled in one glorious crash. 

These things we remember, and for good reason. What is often overlooked is neither the five smooth stones David retrieved from the river, nor the admirable speech he delivered before killing Goliath (which was rather long…considering that Goliath was about to feed his flesh to the birds). 

It is the fact that David tried Saul’s armor on before heading out, and it fit so poorly that he immediately took it off. While the armor appeared sturdy, expensive, and promising for victory, it only hindered and distracted David from the battle at hand. It drew his attention to himself, rather than God. He could not even walk around — a basic human function — without itching to take it off! 

Think back to the times you’ve put on facades or put your faith in things you thought you could trust. How did you feel? What was the outcome? 

Instead, David defeated Goliath with sling and stone — two mundane objects part of his everyday life as a shepherd. Although they appeared silly, flimsy, and doomed to fail, David’s true weapon was the Lord, who was on his side. This knowledge allowed him to speak with certainty in the Lord’s victory over Goliath before the battle began, despite his obvious physical disadvantage against Goliath. Proclaiming this truth in the face of Goliath and public criticism (including his older brothers), David demonstrated profound faith and courage.

Do you share David’s confidence that God is fighting for you? Or do you wear armor to shield yourself from your fears and the truth? 

The small detail of David taking off the armor teaches us that God sees us for who we are and uses who we are to do miraculous things. He wants you to rely on Him for help and protection, not on the things around you or other versions of yourself. To prove that, He used a young shepherd boy who had no military experience, but extraordinary faith, to do the impossible. This brings to mind a familiar verse: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) 

We all have our own Goliaths, whether with work, school, family, friends, church, or ourselves. For me, my self-doubt and desire to be accepted are hurdles I must overcome as I head off to college. For you, it could be a difficult boss or colleague, anxieties and insecurities, financial crises, or something else entirely. Whatever it is, this story reminds us that God can use those Goliaths to reveal Himself to you in unexpected ways, as long as we put our trust in Him. For we walk by faith, not by sight (Corinthians 5:7), and this is exactly how Peter, Jesus’s disciple, was able to walk on water for a moment; Sarah and Abraham had Isaac in their old age; and David triumphed over Goliath. 

Is your trust in the Lord? Where have you put your faith? Ask the Lord to show you today and trust that He will take care of you. 

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It’s easy to find yourself caught within the snare of gossip, lured by the grip of an enticing story, clinging to the empty promise that knowing more will somehow serve you more. In those instances I know, deep down, it is wrong to participate and that I should divert the topic or remove myself from the conversation. But oftentimes I compromise, offering neutral comments, yet nonetheless getting my fill of the latest drama. It’s a bargain with God, arguing “If I just keep quiet and don’t say anything mean, then it’s just another fun conversation.” 

Over two thousand years ago, the same inner rationalization happened to Saul. The Lord entrusted him with the complete destruction of the Amalekites in order to punish them for refusing the Isrealites to pass through as they escaped Egypt (Exodus 7). God stressed that every living thing should be destroyed, both young and old, human and animal. Saul was to be the vessel for God’s ultimate judgment on the Amalekites, which God promised throughout Numbers and Deuteronomy to the Israelites. 

But that didn’t happen. Yes, Saul attacked the Amalekites, but he kept their king Agag alive and the best of the spoils. Instead of fully carrying out God’s command, Saul did what he thought was best: saving the desirable possessions of Israel’s enemies for a sacrifice to the Lord. Even when confronted by Samuel, Saul denied, blamed, and refused to repent, claiming that he did obey God — just on his own terms (v. 20). This is how I’ve justified gossip in the past: by doing a not-completely-wrong thing, rather than the right thing. 

What God wanted from Saul was his obedience and pure heart, not his burnt offering. God doesn’t want partial obedience; He wants it all: “man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7b). Jesus says that “To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices” (Mark 12:33). 

This is not merely a command, or “because God says so.” In truth, Jesus is the only one capable of true obedience and he was the perfect sacrifice. Not even David, a man after God’s own heart, could have measured up to the impossible standard Jesus fulfilled through his blamelessness. But by abiding in Christ—denying our flesh and yielding to the Holy Spirit—we can learn to seek love, mercy, and purity, mirroring our desires with God’s. 

Christ demonstrated perfect obedience while he was on Earth: despite the immense physical and mental pain he foreknew in the days and weeks leading up to his crucifixion, he maintained a kingdom mindset and humbly gave himself up to fulfill God’s perfect plan of salvation for us (Matthew 16:21-27). Saul (and we), on the other hand, maintained a worldly kingdom mindset fixed in the immediate gratification of wealth, power and status, ephemeral idols that distract from the bigger picture God has created for us.  

From Saul’s disobedience we learn what not to do—not to prioritize convenience or reputation over God’s perfect plan for us, not to be satisfied with complacency—so that in Christ we recognize the power that lies in submission. Ask yourself: have you ever done a not-completely-wrong thing instead of the right thing? What would Jesus want you to do in that situation?

The story of Jesus turning water into wine is very familiar to most of us. It even enters popular culture fairly often, usually in comical ‘even Jesus appreciates a good drink’ kind of ways. However, this recounting of Jesus’ early ministry, and its positioning in John’s Gospel, really serve to distinguish Jesus and the ministry of His Kingdom from the kingdoms and values of the world around us.

The passage comes right after Jesus has recruited his early disciples in John 1, which makes this the first account of Jesus’ miraculous ministry to the world. As the account goes, it seems the first public miracle was not strategically planned, but the result of some newlyweds’ misfortune. There they were, publicly hosting the celebration of their union with friends, family, and neighbors when they embarrassingly run out of wine to serve their guests. Such a thing may be more forgiving in our culture today, but in that time it was bad enough for Mary to effectively say, “Jesus, won’t you do something to spare them?” 

In a way, Jesus responds saying, it is not yet my time and the social faux pas of this world are not what I’m here for. However, he then proceeds to turn this story into a profound parable for a key feature in his Kingdom teaching: abundance. What Mary likely expected of Jesus, and what the wedding guests expected of their hosts, was for the wine to continue to flow well into the celebration. The worldly custom and strategy for this (as noted in verse 10) was to serve the best wine you had first, and then serve a lesser wine as the drinking went on. It makes practical sense. People are less likely to notice or care if the wine isn’t as good after they’ve already had a few. 

But Jesus turns this worldly notion on its head. Rather than miraculously solve the problem with the standard vintage of wine, he provides the wedding with the finest wine (likely much more costly than the family could have afforded) and takes them from being social outcasts hosting an under-prepared wedding party to being the talk of the town. This is the Kingdom of God. This is what Jesus does for us every day. He brings a better vintage than we ever could have imagined into our lives. The world’s values are to be shrewd, calculating, and frugal- but the Kingdom’s values are to be generous and overly extravagant in service to others.

This is the first ‘lesson’ Jesus brings us in the Gospel of John. He says, My ways are not your ways and I’ve come to give you so much more life than what you could imagine or hope for. So in the hustle and bustle, and juggling of our day or week, be sure to constantly check your posture. Ask God, am I approaching this day from a world-view of scarcity and self-preservation (for me and my family) or am I living in the abundance of a risen Christ?

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A Reflection, Lamentation, and Challenge for us All

contributor post by Frank Astor

The older I get it seems there are more questions arising than answers. In today’s America, the term ‘Evangelical Christian’ has become almost a political term. Evangelical Christians are standing for and supporting ideas and individuals that I see as not representing Christian values. Are they wrong, or am I?

When the prophets showed up in the Bible they were frequently looked at as being wrong, usually speaking out against the prevailing social norms of their day. When people throughout the world view American Christians as pro-war, pro-violence, and pro-abortion; what must they think? America was founded as a Christian nation (we still use the term Christian nation verses Jewish, Muslim, etc.). Something seems to have gone terribly wrong. But what? We all know the rules, such as the ten commandments, but are we missing the spiritual connection? Are we becoming indifferent? Do we feel that we ‘have arrived’?

I am reading a book written by an Indian-Christian man who as a teenager gave up his Hindu belief and accepted Christ as his savior. With this transition he was disinherited by his parents and siblings. Below are some of his observations and thoughts:

- Singh, Sundar. Wisdom of the Sadhu: Teachings of Sundar Singh. Plough, 2000.

I have been wondering, are we as North American Christians becoming a Pharisaicial Christian nation? Is the Western Church a ‘rules’ church or an Old Testament style Church, while the non-Western Church is more New Testament style? If so, why would this be? Again, a quote from our Indian-Christian brother, Sundar,

As an American-Christian, this has me more and more asking myself, am I more of a pharisee-Christian or a Spiritual-Christian? Perhaps, the answer as simple as ‘SEEKING.’ Sundar’s observation of ‘idols, altars, temples, etc.’ in India’s culture sounds like a people looking and seeking for a higher authority.

Which brings me back to my earlier question, are American-Christians still seeking or do we operate as though we already ‘have arrived’ in our faith journey? In our culture of materialism, fast food, fast answers- are we no longer seeking a higher authority? It seems it’s not needed if we feel we already have ‘it’ (life) under control, or believe working just a little bit harder/longer will get us ‘there.’

To bring it to a more personal level; answering for myself, I am still seeking; are you? Are you a fully matured Christian? Have you ascended to that level or are you still trying, still seeking, to follow Jesus in a daily walk through your life’s journey? I have heard it said that the word ‘Christian’ can be better broken down as ‘Christ-like.’ So, to be Christian is to be always seeking to be Christ-like. Time (and history) will tell how well or how poorly we have done.

Where are we as a Church going as we enter 2023? Are we on the right track…? It sure doesn’t seem so at times. The Evangelical Church as a cohesive body of believers seems more muddled now than ever. Can we find a better way forward? If we can return to a lifestyle of seeking, I believe we can.

• Frank Aster is an occasional writer for Project Arctos. He is proud to serve the Lord as a father, grandfather, craftsman, and Sunday school teacher in the Mennonite Church.

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