Two little boys and a little girl were sitting by an old car talking to a visitor at their house. These children were living on a Cree Indian Reserve in Canada. When asked if they would like to hear a story, the smallest child climbed into the visitor’s lap and the other two leaned against his knees, listening.
“I will tell you a story from the Bible about a boy named David and a giant named Goliath,” he said.
“What’s a giant?” asked one little boy.
These children knew about powwows and witch doctors, evil spirits and demons, but not giants. How to describe a giant to such little people was the problem now.
“A giant, in this story, was a bad person as big as that tree,” was the reply. (Trees do not grow very high in the far north woods of Canada. This giant is described in 1 Samuel 17:44And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. (1 Samuel 17:4) as being “six cubits and a span,” which would be about nine-and-a-half-feet tall. The tree he pointed to was about ten feet tall.)
As he told them the story the three little ones stared up at that tree with open mouths. How amazing, that the boy David could kill a giant that big with only his smooth stone and his sling. The visitor explained to the children that David was able to kill that giant because the Lord Jesus was with him.
Can we kill the “giants” of sin with the Word of God, the Bible? Yes, we can, “for the battle is the Lord’s.” 1 Samuel 17:4747And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands. (1 Samuel 17:47). The Lord Jesus Christ is near to you. He is waiting for you to receive Him into your life and heart. If you belong to Him, He is able to keep you from the giants of drinking, smoking and drugs, and He will keep you from the demons and evil spirits who take control of people. He has angels to guard little ones and to protect them. We know this because the Bible tells us in Matthew 18:1010Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 18:10), “These little ones... their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven.”
After the visitor finished telling the children that wonderful story, he taught them this little song:
Only a boy named David,
Only a little sling,
Only a boy named David,
But he could pray and sing;
Only a boy named David,
Only a rippling brook,
Only a boy named David,
But five little stones he took.
And one little stone went in the sling,
And the sling went round and round;
And round and round and round and round,
And round and round and round,
And one little stone went up in the air,
And the giant came tumbling down.
Soon they were singing and using the motions to kill the giant, just as David had.
Perhaps they did not understand it all, but someday they may, because learning how much God loves us and what He can do for us is how we grow in the knowledge of the truth — understanding a little at a time.
ML-07/03/1988