My Light and Salvation

One thing I cannot help but notice about society today is the lack of faith and the presence of fear. I believe that the presence of fear is the deciding factor in my determining that we have a lack of faith. I say we because in many ways I walk more by fear than by faith. King David declared that the Lord was his salvation. We saw evidence of this faith and salvation as David, as  young boy, facing his giant and defeating him through the faith that he had in his Lord giving him the victory. I have to believe that this was the salvation that David talks about. We could discuss how he might have been talking about a future salvation more symbolic perhaps but I think it was both futuristic and a salvation for the day.
Perhaps we do not see such strength in our daily walks because we choose not to face our giants at all. So if we choose to not step out against our giants everyday could we say that the lack of giant slaying in our lives today is more about our lives and how we choose to live? I have decided that this is precisely why we see no giant slaying in our lives. We have decided that the best way to avoid danger is to walk  away. Yet today I hear more and more about having guns in our possession and how the government cannot take our guns from us. Wouldn't it take more faith to walk without a gun? Well David did have a sling and a stone., but that is not really the point that I think we should be discussing; and you can stay at that last point if you choose to and many that I talk to will stay at that last point I made about guns and stones. What I think we should really discuss is that David stood his ground against insurmountable odds. You see the sling and the stone were only symbols of David's faith in God.
This past week I attended our RIM Retreat and I was surprised to learn that many of my fellow pastors are standing on the side of being armed with guns. I find this surprising because I find at times I am the minority when I choose to stand armed only with the word of God. You see it was faith that saved David and not the sling and stone. God was looking to defeat the giant and only needed or wanted someone to stand for Him. Those who stood armed with the best armor available were defeated by their lack of faith but a young boy who was left to defend the defenseless sheep had seen , through his courage time and time again, how God was the best defense.
If salvation in God is what we are truly seeking then what can the giant do to us? What can man do to us but kill us and if we truly desire heaven then isn't that giving us exactly what we are seeking?
So then do we need to arm ourselves today? You bet. But not the way that this world wants to be armed but armed with the word of God. Prepare yourselves with the word so that in that final moment when God takes you may you stand firm against the biggest giant of all, yourself.