Bragging Rights

By Jerry D. Ousley

            I was around 5’ 6” at the time.  I weighed a whopping 115 pounds fully clothed and sopping wet.  But I had taken all I could take.  I was in high school and a bully sitting behind me kept slapping me on the back of the head.  Not just a gentle brush, mind you, but a full, all-out slap.  It had gone on for days and like Popeye, I thought, “That’s all I can stands and I can’t stands no more!”  I turned around and said, loudly enough that it got the teacher’s attention, “Stop it and I mean now!”  We both made some kind of excuse to the teacher to keep out of trouble, but this guy was obviously mad at me.

            Now he was about 6’ 5”, but to me looked every bit of 12’ 6”.  To make things worse, he was on the basketball team.  After class, he caught me in the hallway telling me that he was going to whip me good.  I knew that there was no way I could take him.  I didn’t have any secret weapons.  As much as I would have liked to spring my well-trained karate moves on him, at best I could chop a wet noodle in half if it was overcooked.  But I held my ground.  “I’ll take you anytime and anywhere!” I spewed back at him.  “All right,” he said, “meet me at ____ (and he named a deserted corner at the back of the school to meet him.  I’d tell you where that was but frankly, I don’t remember).”  “I’ll be there,” I yelled.

            My buddy told me that I was crazy and I was going to get killed.  I knew he was right but I had made a commitment and I was going to be there.  Like a good friend he said he’d go with me but that he was staying out of it.  He didn’t want to get killed too.

            At the appointed time I arrived with my friend at the appointed place.  I had a lump in my throat the size of Chicago but I wasn’t going to back down.  I made my peace with God and was prepared to die.  But a strange thing happened.  The other guy never showed.  To this day I don’t know why he didn’t get there.  Maybe I was such small fry to him that he didn’t want to waste his time on me.  Perhaps he had basketball practice.  Maybe the teacher talked with him later that day.  I don’t know.  All I do know is that he was a no-show (to my great relief!).

            In a much larger way, David faced his own challenge.  As a young man, he was sent by his father to the battle front to take food to his three older brothers who were engaged in the war.  His father also wanted to know how they were.  As he spoke with his brothers a large man, nearly 10’ stepped out in an obvious place and demanded that a champion of Israel come forward to fight with him.  The challenge was that whichever won, the army of the loser would become the servants of the victor.  As he issued his challenge this hulk of a man spoke with confidence, and struck fear in the hearts of each of the soldiers of Israel.

            But instead of fear, his words made David’s blood boil.  In so many words he said, “Just who does this big uncircumcised Philistine think he is to defy the army of the Almighty God!  I think I can take him!”  (See 1 Samuel 17:23-26).  Long story short, David did defeat the giant, Goliath that day.  With a single stone in a sling, it was divinely guided right into the exposed forehead of the man which knocked him to the ground.  David quickly grabbed the giant’s own sword and beheaded him.  It was indeed a great victory and makes good material for many encouraging sermons.  And justly so.  God can and does give us victorious moments.

            But what of the other men who feared for their lives?  What if we were in the same situation?  I’d like to think that I could rip open my shirt and become super-Christian.  However, it doesn’t always work that way.  All the other men were strong soldiers.  They had been selected for battle because of their strength and ability.  They weren’t weak-kneed cowards.  Even King Saul who was responsible for leading them into victory was perplexed as to what to do.  If you and I had been there, would we have run out to fight the defiant Goliath?  For most of us, I think we’d be right where the other soldiers were; hunkered down waiting, wondering, and expectantly afraid.

            Wait now; what is this I see?  As I wonder in fear because of my unknown situation, out steps One who seems unafraid.  Someone says, “Look – The Lion of Judah!” and as we gaze upon Him in fact we see a Lamb, looking like it had been slain.  This Lion/Lamb steps up to the Goliath we face, looks him in the eye and with one word from His mouth sends the Goliath defeated and on his way.  He is Jesus Christ.  When we stand cowering in fear, when we have no idea of what to do, or how we are going to face our situation, the battle that seems impossible, that thing that makes us afraid, if we will trust Him, Jesus becomes our champion.  He stands up on our behalf.  The devil is constantly accusing us, telling God how unworthy we are and how sinful we have been.  He testifies to our every failure before the God of the universe.  And sadly, he is absolutely right.

            But John wrote, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin.  And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (1 John 2:1).  My friends, no matter what we have done, regardless the guilt we are covered in, if we turn to Jesus as Lord and Savior, He will fight for us.  There is no giant too tall, no obstacle too great or no barrier which He cannot break through.  He is our Champion, and only He has all the bragging rights!

Jerry D. Ousley is the author of ?Soul Challenge?, ?Soul Journey?, ?Ordeal?, ?The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional and his first novel ?The Shoe Tree.?  Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.