Child Like Faith

Children are a gift from God.  The bible says that we must have a child like faith to enter the kingdom of heaven.  What exactly does this mean?  The sense is--whoever humbles himself until he becomes as a child, exhibiting trust, openness and eagerness to learn, these qualities constitute greatness.  Let's take David for example.  He was a child when he defeated Goliath, a giant.  As a matter of fact, he told Goliath that he was going to cut his head off, and feed his army to the birds and beasts of the earth. 

Let me back up a little.  Goliath from the Philistine army was taunting the Israel army and suggesting a contest between individual warriors on behalf of the armies.  He thought that he had the upper hand because of his size. The Israel army was greatly afraid and fled from him.  Goliath did this every morning and every night for 40 days. There was a valley between both armies. One day David was delivering supplies to his brothers, when he heard Goliath's words taunting them. 

David began to ask, "Who is this Philistine that taunts the armies of the living God?"  David was asking everyone this question, including his brothers.  His oldest brother got angry with David and David said, "What have I done now?  Was it not just a question?"  Somebody went and told Saul about David's questions.  (Wow, a grown man told on a kid?)  Saul was David's master during this time and he told David that he was just a youth while Goliath had been a warrior from his youth.  David told Saul, "I, your servant has killed both a lion and a bear; and this Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.  The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."  Saul told David, "Go, and may the Lord be with you."

Saul clothed David with his armor but David didn't feel comfortable in them and he took them off.  Instead he took his stick in his hand and chose 5 smooth stones from the brook, put them in his bag, then he approached Goliath.  When Goliath saw David he said, "Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" He told David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth."  David told Goliath, "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and 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 taunted.  This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you.  I will give the dead bodies of your army to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the Lord does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands."

Goliath rose and began to walk toward David, but David ran quickly TOWARD the battle line to meet the giant.  Obviously, the valley was still between them.  David took a stone from his bag, slung it, and struck Goliath on his forehead.  The stone sank into his head so that he fell on his face to the ground.  David didn't have his own sword, so he stood over Goliath, drew his sword out of its sheath, killed him and cut off his head with it.  (Hold up. Did he just cut Goliath's head off with his own sword? Yep!)

You see, David's faith in God is what gave him the courage and strength to conquer a giant.  We have many giants in our lives such as finances, illness or unruly people that we have to deal with daily.  Our faith in God will allow us to do what seems to be impossible.  Like a child trusts their own parents, we should apply our trust in God our Father in every situation, big or small just like David did.  God will always give you the tools you need.