Sunday, April 14, 2024 - LIONS AND DOGS AND BEARS...

"I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen." (Luther's Morning Prayer)

Sunday, April 14, 2024 - Day 105 (Through the Bible in a year readings for today: 1 Samuel 17,18; Luke 15:1-10)

LIONS AND DOGS AND BEARS...

But David said to Saul... “Your servant has struck down both lions and bears... The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”  Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd's pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine. And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head... For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.” So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David. (1 Samuel 17:34-50 ESV)

“Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!” Those words spoken by Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, revealed her fear of walking in harms way. “Lions and dogs and bears,” terms found in our lesson for today, do not reveal fear. Instead they reveal the God-inspired confidence of a young shepherd boy and the self-inspired confidence of a giant. 

David’s lack of fear was well founded because he knew that the battle (was) the Lord's. Goliath’s lack of fear was based on his confidence in his own strength. Faithful David won. Boastful Goliath lost. Our lesson is clear. If you want to be a winner, trust in the Lord!

Thank You, heavenly Father, for driving away all fear for those whom You have chosen by sending Jesus to the cross to defeat sin, death and the devil. Yes, thank You for His sacrificial love that casts out all fear. Amen.

“See” you at the Communion rail this morning!

Pastor David Paape

Daily Bible Reading Chart covering the entire Bible in one year. 

http://www.wholesomewords.org/family/bibleread/truth.pdf