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At housegroup this week we were looking at Nehemiah 4, and opposition. As an example of a type of opposition we looked at the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.

I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of stories we learnt in Sunday school, that when I read again now I notice so many new and different things it’s like reading them for the first time! So thought I’d share some bits we picked out…

• As a child, we’re taught that Goliath was a giant, or a big man, but what does that mean in numbers? Turns out this guy was 9 feet tall, that’s getting on for 3 metres!
• We remember that David picked “five smooth stones” from the brook. I think I always translated this as five small stones, but we found in the footnotes of a study bible that each of these stones was larger than a cricket ball!
• David smacked this guy square on the forehead in his first shot, not only this, he did this while running with a bag of 4 other heavy stones and his moving target running back at him!
• When David finally convinces Saul to let him go and fight Goliath, Saul says “Go, and the Lord be with you”. We think this is great that Saul thought that God was what David needed to be able to win, but read on. The next line: “Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armour on him and a bronze helmet on his head.” Essentially, “God be with you, but just incase that doesn’t work, have all this stuff that stops you being able to move!”
• Oh, and when it was all done, he chopped of Goliath’s head with a sword, anyone else remember that?!

As per usual, just a random collection of thoughts more than anything else 🙂

Oh, and then of course I couldn’t get this Sunday school classic out of my head all evening! Enjoy 🙂

As mentioned previously, I’m currently using N.T. Wright’s bible study books for my quiet time, and I’m on Philippians at the moment. (and still looking for good Old Testament equivalent recommendations 🙂 )

This week I reached a pretty familiar verse,

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” – Philippians 1v21

A lot of the time this is quoted it’s on it’s own… but just to add to this, further down the paragraph we also read,

“I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.” – Philippans 1vv23-24

What Paul is saying is that he’d rather be in heaven, but there’s lots to be done here on earth for now. So if our time here ‘in the body’ is only limited, shouldn’t we be making the most of the time we have? (And I’m speaking to myself here as much as anyone else!)

I was chatting to some friends a while ago and we were trying to work out and clarify what it is that Jehovah’s Witnesses believe (bear with me, I’ve got a point!). I think we agreed that they believe only a limited number of people get into heaven, and yet they spend all their time making sure other people know what they believe to be the truth, because that’s what they do with their time on earth. Now it may be that the more people they “get into heaven” the higher up the priority list they get to get one of the coveted spaces, we weren’t completely sure on that point, but isn’t it great that they’re so passionate about sharing what they believe while they can?

In our limited time here on this suffering planet, where there is death, mourning, crying and pain, shouldn’t we be doing all we can to share the good news? As a Christian, I believe there’s no limit on the number of people who will fit inside those pearly gates, so why on earth am I not telling everyone I see? Completely strangers, let alone those I’m close to and love!

What a challenge – a bit scary, hey?