Psalm 8 - Unlikely Vessels

“Out of the mouths of babes and infants you have established strength because of your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” Psalm 8:4

If I were to ask you to assemble a crack team of warriors to engage in a great battle, whom would you choose? More than likely, if you are thinking like me, you are leaning towards the offensive line of the Dallas Cowboys. You would want really big strong guys that are prepared to fight, suffer, and sacrifice for the victory of the team, yes? But what if you assembled your team of Dallas Cowboys that together weighed more than a cattle car of beef, to only show up for the big battle to realize I had brought a team of googling, drooling babies. Can you think of a bigger insult? And on top of that, what if my team of babes soundly defeated your hulking men? I’m thinking that you and your team would never want to show your face or utter a word of that battle ever again. But you see, this is the way God works. This is the way God does battle. He uses the weak, He uses the lowly, He uses the frail. God implants His strength in the most unlikely vessels so that there is no doubt where the strength of the vessel lies.

The author of Psalm 8, David, was more than aware of this tactic from God. At only 12-13 years old, he personally felt the call of God to engage in battle with a Philistine giant that was near 9 feet tall and wore armor that weighed more than David did. As Goliath mocked the armies of God, we saw God march out a mere babe to do battle with a trained warrior of giant proportions. And the unlikely vessel of God was soundly triumphant that day. On the top of Mount Carmel, we see frail and timid Elisha challenge 850 false prophets of Baal and Asherah. And they were not so mcuh challenging him to a battle, but his God. Elisha believed at this time, that he was the only prophet of God left and soon after he fled the battle in absolute fright to hide in a cave, alone, hungry, and begging God to take his very life. But during that mountaintop showdown, Elijah stood firm in his faith in the Lord and called down fire that insulted and ridiculed that army of 850 blasphemers that openly stood against God. The great faith of a scared child won the day for Almighty God.

God uses the small, the weak, and the seemingly insignificant. God chooses to use unlikely vessels to do his miraculous work. All that is needed to be used of God is the simple, honest, genuine faith of a child. You and I must put aside our adult nature, that is a nature saturated with pride, egotism, and accomplishment and draw into the presence of the Lord and realize not who we are, but who He is. Not what we offer but what He provides. And as we do, we will see the true power of the Lord manifested. A power that radiates not from a faith that looks like a California redwood, but more like a mustard seed. For you see, Jesus realizes that the less faith we have in ourselves, the more faith we can have in Him. And folks, to truly follow Christ is all about great faith in our great God.

Great faith in God allowed the new and inexperienced leader Joshua to do nothing but march around Jericho seven times to see it fall. Great faith in God allowed stuttering and scared Moses to simply raise a staff and part a mighty sea. And today, as you draw near to God with the simple faith of an child, God will massage it in His mighty hands and see it grow into something that will allow you to bear abundant fruit for the kingdom of God. Today, don’t seek to look in the mirror and see a mighty warrior for Christ. Instead pray to God to see the reflection of young David foolishly dressed in the oversized armor of Saul. And just as David did in his great childlike faith in Almight God, remove that armor and go into battle holding nothing but the promises of God…for that, that is enough.

Blessings ~ Dan

“Then David said to the Philistine (Goliath), “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with 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 defied.” 1 Samuel 17:45

“Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:4

Bubo virginianus, el gran búho cornado (the great horned owl), Val'Quirico, Mexico