When Goliaths Fall

This is a poem written by my uncle Steve.

The lines are drawn, the armies there
Shouts of war fill the air...
The brave, the mighty going out
There's always a cost......and blood no doubt! 

Warrior's dressed in full array
They've been there forty nights and days...
And still the strongman stands unbound
With no challenger within his sound. 

Would that God would show His hand!
Would that there was one true man!
To look in the face of nine feet of death...
And never EVER loose one breath. 

Then one fair boy, surely not a man --
Kind of ruddy in face and probably tan,
Heard the name of His God being blasphemed from afar...
Said "That one taunt is enough ~ he's gone too far!" 

With the name of the Lord and a sling in his hand
David met Goliath -- the strongman of the land!
He said "The Lord doesn't deliver by sword or by spear!..
The battle is the Lord's and His power is here!" 

The zeal of the Lord launched that stone in the air!
It had proved itself before against the lion and the bear!
"This uncircumcised Philistine is no different.." David said,
"For like the others soon this one too will be dead!" 

The sound of a thud...a sword out of sheath...
And David with a head and no body beneath!
The Philistine army was now on the run...
And its just as he said -- "The battle's been won!" 

There's a sound that is heard by those that don't fear,
And it's only heard by those who are near,
Weak souls camped out with the likes of King Saul,
Will never be mighty and probably will fall. 

The Lord's warriors go out into enemy land,
Full of the Spirit -- His weapons in hand!
Never a doubt...never thinking of defeat,
In this war there's no such thing as retreat. 

Yes...
There's a sound that is heard by those that don't fear,
And it's only heard by those who are near,
A distinct sound...not much like it at all --
It's what true warrior's hear............when Goliaths fall!

Steve F. Griffin - 1985 

Running to my Father

There are (many) times where God uses my parental role as a father and mentor to our two younger boys to demonstrate His own character and how I relate to Him as my Father.  This is a story of one of those moments that happened during Christmas.

We were all taking naps one afternoon.  Kevin was sleeping in his room, and Bradley crashed on the couch with me in the living room.  We overslept and it began to get dark.  So dark, you couldn't see a thing in the house.  When all of the sudden, I hear this screech of a cry.  It was Kevin.  I immediately popped straight up and ran into his room.  Didn't even flip the light on.  I patted all around his bed, but he was gone!  In a moment of panic, I heard him scream out in tears again.  It was coming from the other end of the house.  I ran back to the middle of the house, confused and unable to find him.  He screamed again and I zero'd in on the source.  It was coming from our bedroom.  I ran into our bedroom, flipped on the light, and found Kevin on our bed.  He was sitting on his knees, bent over pouring tears into my pillow.  I ran over to him and engulfed him in my arms.  He clung to me and continued to drench my shoulder with his tears as I said over and over "It's OK Kevin.  Daddy's here.  I love you.  I love you.  I'm here. I love you Kevin.  Everything will be OK.  I love you."  I repeated "I love you" over and over through tears of my own, as we held each other for the next 15 minutes.  He wouldn't let me go, and I wouldn't let him go.  It was the sweetest 15 minutes I've ever had with him.

What happened was, he woke up from his nap to a pitch black house and was scared.  He must have walked right past me and Bradley on the couch (sound asleep) but unable to see us.  He managed to climb up on our bed (which is not easy for him). And just...the terror that came over him when I wasn't where he expected to find me.

I could see myself in Kevin in that moment.  How, when I was lost and scared for my life, I went running to my Father.  And He was there, ready and willing, to wrap His loving arms around me and hold me tightly to His chest.  Whispering into my ear, "I love you Justin, I love you." And in His arms, all my fears are swept away. He never fails.

What a sweet reminder to know He "holds my tears in a bottle" (Psalm 56:8) and that "His thoughts are precious towards me" (Psalm 139:17).

This is love.

A Real Christian is an ODD Number Anyway

He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen;
Talks familiarly everyday to someone he cannot see;
Expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another;
Empties himself in order to be full;
Admits he is wrong so he can be declared right;
Goes down in order to get up;
Is strongest when he is weakest,
Richest when he is poorest,
Happiest when he feels the worst;
He dies so he can live;
Forsakes in order to have;
Gives away so he can keep;
Sees the invisible;
Hears the inaudible;
And knows that which passeth knowledge;

 - A.W. Tozer -