I got brave. God made me brave.
Brave enough to pick up the slingshot He gave me and the stones that lay beside.
He made me brave enough to stand feet firmly apart, my shoulders back and my head held up. My eyes firm on my enemies.
I had prayed, I had prayed again. I prayed more.
Each time becoming more desperate in my valley of tortured threat. Fear of these Goliath’s that jabbed and stabbed and sliced at me. The seeds sown so long ago into the core of me that had been fed and grown out of wild tangled control.
I’m no gardener. I don’t know what I’m doing. I tried cutting back but more strangling vines and bloodthirsty thorn weeds grew, quick and strong.
This is a place of life taking danger, and not just mine. Many life sentences ruled by evil’s hand are all around.
So I prayed and I prayed more. God made me brave enough to ask others to pray and pray more.
Blankets of His words filled with love and grace. Filled with the Son’s love for His sister. Filled with the Father’s love and grace and warmth for His daughter, wrapped around me. And made me brave.
So I’m stood with the slingshot and the stones and my feet apart and my eyes firm and with the angel armies of heaven.
The giants stood revelling, taunting, laughing.
But the Spirit of the holy of holies, of the king of all kingdoms whispers in my ear. And stones of love, stones of courage, stones of friendship, stones of encouragement, stones of joy, stones of grace, fly like arrows to slay what I had allowed to be my masters.
And I prayed, and God made me braver and the giants were falling. And….
I don’t know what happened. I thought I had seen them all clearly. Yet, it was there. It was stood, it had been waiting. Smugly, excitedly, secretly. An unknown giant towered. How had I not seen it?
It waited assured it would knock me down, flat on my back defenceless or with my face choking into the dirt. All it cared about was destroying me. Destroying my relationships, hopes and most importantly destroying my faith in God.
God though was not taken by surprise. He of course had known it was coming. I believe even leading it to come. That’s why He had given me a heart to pray, a conquering heart for change. He had given me the best defences. Love and grace. He had been preparing me with a belt of truth, a breastplate of righteousness, He had fitted my feet ready and waiting with the gospel of peace. He had given me a shield of faith, a helmet of salvation and that glorious sword of the spirit, the glorious word of God.
All of which had me brave.
So I’m not knocked over. I’m not broken. I am shaken but I am standing.
My hand is steady enough, Wind powered by the whispering to keep releasing the stones directed by heavens hand.
And this giant stumbles. They are all stumbling, disorientated and more wounded with every blow.
And I will pray, and I will be brave, and the Lord God who conquered for my salvation will sustain my strength in battle until every single one of those giants lay, slain dead with their heads cut off.
Yes. I believe God led it. He knew the giant by name and knew it’s ugly face by sight. It was in plane view to the Almighty.
It couldn’t be slain though until I saw it. It could no longer be hidden from me if I was going to live a life in Christ, set free.
So I’m still fighting and my opponent is strong.
My God is stronger and the battle will be won.
Love will win. God will win.
I give thanks, my Lord, my King, My Conqueror. You keep me brave.
I will pray.