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And
There Came a Lion and a Bear
1
Samuel 17: 34-37
Text
Scripture:
1
Samuel 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and
there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35
And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and
when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew
him.
36
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine
shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37
David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and
out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this
Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee.
Intro:
·
As
you read this story, if you’re not careful … you’ll miss something
·
Usually,
when we’re reading this story, we’re so focused on David killing the giant,
Goliath … we miss perhaps the most important part of the story …
·
What
is it?
·
Glad
you asked!
·
As
David (GOD’S ANOINTED!) (A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART) was, minding his own
business, watching his sheep, the DUMBEST lion and the DUMBEST bear in the
world made the foolish mistake of trying to steal one of his sheep for supper
·
That
would be their last mistake!
·
David
killed ‘em!
Now,
there are three things we dare not miss from this story:
1:
Trials come to all of us … even God’s anointed
·
None
of us are strangers to the lions and bears of troubles and trials in this life!
2:
The lions and bears of troubles and trials are Gods blessings and opportunities
in disguise
·
Often
the thing that strikes the chords of the deepest fears within us is the thing
that gives us the greatest strength!
3:
The lion and the bear prepared David for his greatest moment of triumph
·
No
lion, no bear, no victory over Goliath!
I
make no pretense to know the Spiritual condition of anybody in this
congregation today
But
it would be my guess that somebody can relate to what I’m saying:
·
You
know you’re saved
·
You
know you’re God’s Anointed
·
You
were doing what you God instructed you to do
·
You
were minding your own business
·
You
weren’t hurting a soul
Now
I have no clue to the name of your lion and bear:
·
They
may be named divorce
·
Perhaps
financial problems
·
Maybe
church hurts
·
Maybe
family problems
·
Maybe
medical problems
·
Perhaps
depression
·
Maybe
job problems
·
But
let there be no mistake … the lions and the bears come into each of our lives!
·
None
of us are exempt!
ILLUSTRATION:
When
someone asked that great preacher of yesteryear, George Mueller, the best way
to have strong faith, Mueller replied: The only way to know strong faith is
to endure great trials. I have learned
my faith by standing firm through severe testings.”
·
We
all must fight our own battles!
·
We
all bear the scars of the conflict!!!
Again,
the lions and the bears come into each of our camps!
But
I’m here today to remind you, and to encourage you, that regardless of the name
of you lion and your bear … if you stand and fight the good fight of faith
… THEY ARE MERELY GOD’S BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE … PREPARING YOU FOR YOUR FINEST
HOUR, WHICH IS YET TO COME!
·
Today,
whomever this sermon may be for …
·
Today,
whoever is locked in mortal combat with your lion and your bear …
I
have three words of encouragement the Lord has given me to give you today:
1:
No matter how dry, barren, and God-forsaken your circumstances may appear … God
always sends Streams in the desert
2:
Regardless of how insignificant you may feel, you are a Shaft in His Quiver
3:
No matter how sad your situation may appear, God always sends Songs in the
Storm
1: Streams in the Desert
Joshua 15: 18 & 19:
18 And it came to pass, when she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of
her father a field: and she alighted from off her ass; and Caleb said, What
wouldest thou?
19
And she said, Give me a blessing; for that thou hast set me in the land of the
South, give me also springs of water. And he gave her the upper springs and the
nether springs.
·
Caleb
has just given his daughter, Achsah, and inheritance of the “South Land”
·
The
South Land is a desert land
·
She
asks her father for springs of water in her desert land
·
He
responds by giving her the UPPER Springs and the LOWER Springs.
·
The
term “springs” indicate that he didn’t give her “stagnant pools!”
·
The
streams flow through the hottest summers and the lowest places
·
They
flow through the difficult places, the desert places, the lonely
places, and even the ordinary places …
·
Abraham
found those streams among the hills of Canaan
·
Moses
found them among the rocks of Midian
·
David
found them among the ashes of Ziklag, where his property was gone and his
family had been taken captive. And
though his men were talking about stoning him … DAVID FOUND STRENGTH IN THE
LORD HIS GOD!
·
Isaiah
found them in the terrible days when King Sennacherib of Assyria invaded Judah.
His faith could sing: There is a river whose streams make glad the city of
God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not
fall.
·
In
the last part of Psalms 87:7 David declared: All my fountains (or streams)
are in thee.
I
have a word from God to declare to somebody today … regardless of how dry and
barren your life may feel right now … GOD GIVES STREAMS IN THE DESERT!
ILLUSTRATION:
Sometimes
God uses you as a stream to water somebody else’s desert!
*** Marianne and I at the
Waffle House! ***
Not
only does God give:
1:
Streams in the Desert
He makes us a:
2:
Shaft in His Quiver (Isaiah 49: 1-3)
Isaiah
49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye peoples, from far: Jehovah hath
called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of
my name:
2
and he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he
hid me: and he hath made me a polished shaft; (or arrow) in his quiver hath
he kept me close:
3
and he said unto me, Thou art my servant; Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Sometimes,
as we battle our lion and bear (or whatever trouble and trial you want to call
it) we feel as if God has placed on the shelf, doesn’t hear our prayers, and
has forgotten us!
I
have a word of encouragement for whoever may feel that God has abandoned you,
forgotten you, and placed you on the shelf.
Listen
to how Isaiah put it: he hath made me a polished shaft; (or arrow) in his
quiver hath he kept me close:
·
The
hunter, with great skill and patience hews the arrowhead from the stone and
grinds it, and polishes it until it is shaped just as he desires.
·
He
hones the shaft of the arrow until it is perfectly straight
·
With
great care he winds the thread around the feathers that will guide the arrow
·
He
places the arrow into His quiver
·
He
has not thrown you away as something worthless … YOU ARE IN HIS QUIVER!
·
He
is only keeping you nearby until the moment comes when he will take you from
the quiver and QUICKLY and CONFIDENTLY send you on a mission he has selected
for you!
It
is those lions and bears that come into our lives that hue us, and hone us into
a vessel that is fit for the Master’s use.
Remember: No lion and bear … no Goliath!
1:
Streams in the Desert
2:
Shaft in His Quiver
Not
only does God encourage us by sending Streams in our Desert, and by making us
Shafts in His Quiver, He encourages us by giving:
3:
Songs in our Storms
·
The
story is told of a German Baron who stretched wire from one tower to another at
his castle on the Rhine.
·
The
purpose of the wires was to act as a “wind harp” and provide music as the
gentle breezes blew.
·
Regardless
to how the Baron configured the wires, he couldn’t make them play music in the
soft, gentle breeze.
·
However,
one night, a fierce storm arose
·
His
castle bore the full brunt of the fierce storm
·
Amazingly,
as he looked out the window into the storm …
·
Above
the fury of the storm, the wind harp was filling the air with melodies.
Close:
I
feel very strongly that God gave me this sermon today specifically for this
church, and even more so, specifically for somebody in this church today.
·
You
were doing everything right
·
Life
was good
·
And
there came a lion and a bear
·
Life
unraveled
·
Joy
is gone
·
Every
day is a struggle to survive
·
You
feel as you’ve been “gut punched”
But
God has sent me to encourage you:
·
He
will give you Streams in your Desert
·
He
is preparing you to be a Shaft in His Quiver
·
And
if you’ll listen closely … you can hear the beautiful melodies as the Wind of
the Spirit provides SONGS in you Storm.
Of
yes … And There Came a Lion and a Bear … but they didn’t come to destroy you …
they came to prepare you for Goliath …
Your
moment of glory … when the Heavenly Father draws you from His quiver and
say:
IT’S
SHOW TIME!
IT’S
YOU TIME!!!
Preached:
12-5-04
@ Roper Heights Baptist, West Point, GA
Preached:
12-26-04 @ Teaver Road Baptist in LaGrange, GA
1-16-05
@ Pine View In LaGrange, Ga.
2-13-05@
Mount Pleasant Baptist in Heard County
3-6-05
Franklin First, Franklin, Georgia
4-20-05
Unity Baptist Church LaGrange, Georgia
4-24-05
@ New Prospect Free Will Baptist, Reynolds, Georgia