I Want a Faith Like That

One night, my 6 year old daughter became sick with a virus in the middle of the night. She came and climbed in my bed and said she didn’t feel good. For some reason, my children haven’t grasped the concept of going to the bathroom if they feel like they are going to throw up. Therefore, needless to say, we ended up having to get out of bed, take a shower, and change the sheets on the bed.

When we were preparing to go back to bed, I told her I was going to the kitchen to get her some medicine. She said, “Mama, I know what will help me, not the medicine – God!” We said a prayer asking God to heal her from her sickness.

I still gave her some medicine. After saying a prayer, and giving her some medication, I said, “If you need to throw up again, please do it on this towel, not in my bed!” She said, “Mama, I don’t need a towel, God will bless me.”

Well, guess what, my daughter did not throw up again all night long. Her words kept ringing in my head, “God will bless me.” She had trusted God for her healing more than I had. I suddenly felt like a “babe in Christ”, and she had become the “Spiritual Giant”!

This story reminds me of a young man in the Bible who had a remarkable faith in what God could do. His name was David. David was the youngest son of Jesse, and only a shepherd boy. His brothers had gone off to war, but David stayed behind to tend to the flocks.

David was sent to take food to his brothers at war. Upon his arrival, he discovered that the Israelites were being taunted by a Philistine giant, Goliath. David immediately wanted to know who this man was who defied the armies of the Living God.

To the shock of all those around him, David volunteered to go and fight the giant. Saul tried to protest against David fighting the giant, but David was persistent, saying, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

David had faith that God was going to conquer this giant before him. He even fought without the armor that other soldiers at that time would not have dared enter into battle without! In fact, David offended Goliath by his lack of armor, and by his youthfulness and obvious inexperience. David had not yet grown a beard, and had no battle scars.

David’s words to Goliath demonstrate the faith we should have in our faithful, Almighty God. He said, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty. This day the Lord will hand you over to me. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (1 Samuel 17:45-47)

David does indeed defeat Goliath with only a sling and a stone. My daughter said a simple prayer, and she expected results. David knew God was on his side, and he knew he would not be defeated. If I could only learn to have the child-like faith like my young daughter, and a young shepherd boy named David. Yes, I want a faith like that!