ICS Daily Devotions
Nothing Is Impossible
1 Samuel 17:32-35, 37 (NKJV) Then David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it…” .Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
A trailblazer is someone who blazes a trail for others to follow through unsettled country or wilderness; a pathfinder or pioneer in any field of endeavour. Just as a trailblazing bullet lights up the path to show shooters where the target is, so that they can adjust their shots accordingly, likewise, believers are called to walk out a lifestyle of faith so that others wold have the courage to step out and follow. This lifestyle of faith is something that can grow and deepen over time.
King David exemplified the qualities of a trailblazer when he came forward to take up the challenge against Goliath whilst the rest of the army of Israel cowered in fear. And he continued to grow in faith throughout his life. Wherever possible, we should also help the youth and children in our care to develop their faith in God from a young age.
For many years, so many athletes had tried and failed to run a mile in less than four minutes that people made it out to be a physical impossibility. They thought the human body couldn’t physically go that fast – that it would collapse under the pressure. In 1954, 25-year-old medical student Roger Bannister cracked this notorious track and field barrier in Oxford, England, winning the mile race with a time of 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. One and a half months later, the record was broken again and subsequently over 700 times. By breaking the psychological mystique surrounding the four-minute barrier, Sir Bannister blazed a trail for other athletes to follow.
No one in King Saul’s army could overcome his fear of facing up to Goliath. And in the natural, it was an impossible mission for a youth with no prior military training to face down a supersized, seasoned Philistine warrior. The stakes were high, the people of Israel would be enslaved to the Philistines if David lost the fight. Similarly, we need to overcome some issues in our lives through faith, otherwise we will become enslaved by them.
Like Sir Bannister, our personal breakthroughs will also lead to breakthroughs for others. With God’s help, you can be the trailblazer to conquer the “Goliath” in your sphere of influence and inspire many to follow in your wake.
Sermon Series: Trailblazer
