“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”
1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)
David thought he was on a routine errand to bring lunch to his older brothers, on the battle line. A giant was taunting the Israelite army when David arrived. The giant’s name was Goliath, and he was 9’9” tall, wearing a bronze armor and helmet as he threatened the army of Israel. His words caused terror and fear among the people, but when David arrived to deliver lunch, the bullying of Goliath, stirred his faith in God.
David was the youngest of seven brothers in his family. He may have been sent to a war zone to deliver lunches, but God had another purpose in mind. David was too young to be a part of the army, and he usually spent his days, in prayer and worship, while shepherding his father’s sheep, but occasionally his father asked him to take a basket of lunch to his older brothers, who were at the battle line.
David arrived with fresh bread and cheese, but we all know how the story ended. Upon hearing the giant taunting his people, he was inspired by his faith to stand up to the giant. David was ridiculed by his brothers at first, who prevented him from approaching Goliath, because he was just a boy, not a trained soldier. David reached for a stone and with his slingshot, he struck Goliath on the forehead. Goliath dropped to the ground and the enemy army fled away immediately. The Israelites rejoiced, regaining their confidence and faith in God.
A young boy who arrived in a crowd, carrying lunch, was used by God to inspire faith among thousands. Sound familiar?
Where else have we heard a story about a young boy carrying a basket of lunch, which sparked faith among a large crowd? The boy, whose lunch Jesus used to feed the multitudes, didn’t know that when he routinely packed a lunch that day, it would be used by God to inspire the faith of thousands.
Both the boy and David were doing a routine task, which involved bringing a basket of food to a public place. The boys never dreamed they would be used by God to inspire the faith of a multitude of people. Sometimes our most routine errand can turn into a faith inspiring moment for others. The Holy Spirit always wants to use us to inspire others. We never know who will be set free from their fears, and turn to God, by seeing what we do or hearing the words we speak, during the menial tasks of our day.
The kind deeds done during our daily routine, and the words we speak, might be observed by the right person at the right time, to inspire them.
I remember the lady who inspired me. Monica was the daughter of a resident at my son’s Nursing Home. I observed her coming regularly to visit her mother, but Monica was different than the other visitors, because she greeted every resident by name, offering them hugs and conversation. I was impressed by her kindness and I remember deciding that I wanted to follow Monica’s example.
Shortly after that her mother passed away, and Monica no longer visits the Nursing Home anymore. I’m now the routine visitor, who greets every resident by name, and I know that God used Monica to inspire me to follow her mission of kindness, and make a small difference in the lives of Nursing Home residents.
The Lord does extraordinary things through the ordinary routines of ordinary people. He can use our lunch break at work, or our daily errands to encourage hope and faith in someone else, even when we are unaware of it. Monica may never know how much she inspired me.
Lord, as we go through our daily routines, help us to share your love and to plant seeds of hope and faith in others, so that they may be set free from all fear and anxiety. Amen
