1 Samuel 17 is the story of David & Goliath. “Then David took his shepherd’s staff, selected five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s pack, and with his sling in his hand approached Goliath.” When I walk around the village of Korah, I can almost imagine the hideous giant, Goliath standing, mocking loudly in the streets. He brings terror and fear straight to the heart of this people group of lepers and children living in the slums of Korah. The Goliaths of pain, suffering, sickness, and tragedy stand towering over every corner you turn. It’s overwhelming, but I know God’s power will conquer every single Goliath with the courage and salvation of the lost hearts,
Today, we shared the story of David and Goliath with the Ordinary Hero team to the Project 61 students. It was a spontaneous production of a shepard played by Brook and a big, bad Goliath played by Stephen Murray. The spin off was from the Veggie Tale version and I quickly ran outside and grabbed 5 red stones from a pile of dirt. The story lasted only five minuets, but the message was powerful. God gave David mighty strength and power to kill Goliath. After the actors took a humble bow, it was my turn to share the gospel with our translator, Brook aka King David. I wanted to keep things simple, but felt in my heart I needed to be bold. I shared that God promises to help us face our own Goliaths. When life is difficult and painful and heartbreaking God stands by our side and destroys the giants with His mighty power. I asked the children if anyone had a Goliath in their home… every single hand went up in the room. I shared the ONLY way to have this power in our lives is to ask Jesus Christ to come into our hearts. I encouraged them to raise their hands if they had never asked Jesus to be their personal Savior, their Father. When I looked out in the crowd, I saw 4 older boys boldly wave their hands. It was a precious sight … they didn’t even consider putting down their hands until a few team members went to sit down next to them. We prayed outloud together the prayer of salvation. Let me tell you, the children of Korah pray without abandon!! It was loud and joyful and full of crazy love.
The 4 boys came up to give me a big hug and I gave each of them one of the “five stones.” I explained to them that they needed to keep the stone as a reminder TODAY they are sons of God, mighty warriors for the Kingdom, and children of royalty. I promised to give them each an Amharic Bible and asked them to start reading the Word of God every single day … for the rest of their lives.
Every day when I’m serving in Korah, the 4 boys find me and pull out of their pockets their red stone… their reminder that God is alive in their hearts and will never leave their side.
I Am the Light of the world. Men crawl through their lives cursing the darkness, but all the while I am shining brightly. I desire each of My followers to be a LIGHT-BEARER. The Holy Spirit who lives in you can shine from your face, making Me visible to people around you. Ask My Spirit to LIVE through you, as you wend your way through this day. Hold My hand in joyful trust, for I never leave your side. The Light of My Presence is shining upon you. Brighten up the world by reflecting who I Am. (Jesus Calling, Sarah Young)
