February 13 | 1 Samuel 17:41-54

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DAILY READING

1 Samuel 17:41-54

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REFLECTION

Victory is Yours through the Name of the Lord

By David Thompson

Today's passage is a very familiar one. Every Sunday School child learns the story of David and Goliath. It is a story of a small weak boy standing up to a strong, 9 foot warrior. It is a story of the Lord sticking up for David and giving him the victory through his belief in God. So how do we look at this story in reference to our theme - "In the Shadow of the Cross?"

You know there are always great stories of how others conquered a spiritual, mental or physical issue by fervent prayer and being close to Jesus Christ. Many infirmities are brought on by the devil. In my opinion, they can often be conquered through a thorough belief in Christ's ability to heal us and us requesting both the devil being defeated and through prayer.

Let me tell you a story of a time when my wife, Carla, needed a small army of prayer warriors praying for her immediate healing. She had an operation on her brain on January 29, 2026. Yes it was about two weeks ago. We were impressed with UALC getting behind us and praying hard to see a positive result. Doctors planted stem cells in the brain of a 74 year old Parkinson sufferer. It was a 10 hour operation, but I was sure it would turn out well and it did. You see, my small group, our church and a number of others from around the US were praying for healing and a positive result. As it turned out, Carla came through the operation with flying colors. Further, she has had no pain in her head or in her throat (from the anesthesia). The ultimate positive result will come over the next six months. It is where you can come in and join with others in praying for a miracle (you see, this operation has never been done in the US before).

Some scripture references on the promise of healing are in order in this final paragraph. Exodus 15:26 states that "For I am the Lord who heals you." Further Exodus 23:25-26 states, "You shall serve the Lord your God; He shall bless your bread and water, and I will take sickness from your midst." Isaiah 40:31, is one of my favorite verses. It states: "But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary They will walk and not faint." A simple Google search for God's healing touch will find many verses that brought together will teach us that healing is conditional on our faith in Christ and the cross and us "boldly coming to the throne of God" and asking with belief that the subject of our prayers will be healed.

PRAYER

Dear Lord God,

Thank you for your promises that through faith and the cleansing power of your sacrifice on the cross, miracles will happen. Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Thompson

I am the administrator of the Daily Worship Blog. My wife, Carla, and I have been attending UALC for seven years at the 9 o'clock service at Mill Run. We have two children, Catherine and Aaron. I have been a Christian for 53 years and am thankful that my Savior has given me two spiritual gifts that have carried me both spiritually and vocationally all my life: they are teaching and administration. I look forward to spending many years here at UALC to serve my Lord and Savior.