Today’s devotional was written by our son, Kurt.

 ‘I thought I would give my mom a break this morning and personally send a devotional.
I got into a book last night called Facing your Giants by Max Lucado.  It’s a study on the life of David and the premise is that we all have our Giants whether it would be challenges at work, divorce, addiction, sickness, moving etc……how do we face them?   The author chronicles all of the victories and struggles that David experienced…the incredible highs and as incredible lows.   David is the only person to ever have the distinction from God as “a man after his own heart”.  Considering David stumbled as often as he conquered, one might ask what God saw in this unlikely character….regardless he gives us all hope.
I like the beginning as he described how this shepherd boy approached Goliath and the Philistines.   Goliath is 9 feet 9 inches tall and has been taunting the Israelites twice a day for 40 days.  No Israelite manned-up to face this giant.  David arrives and does not focus on this Giant and his physical stature, weapons, experience etc., he focuses on the God.  “No one else discussed God.  David discusses no one but God.  David majors in God.  He sees the giant mind you, he just see God more so.”
The verse that completely jumped off the page for me was:
“As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him” 1 Samuel 17:48 (NLT)
The author sums it up like this:
” I count nine references , God-thoughts outnumber Goliath-thoughts nine to two.  How does that ratio compare with yours? Do you ponder God’s grace four times as much as your guilt? Is your list of blessings four times as long as your list of complaints? Is your mental file of hope four times as thick as your file of dread? Are you four times as likely to describe the strength of God as you are the demands of your day?  No? Then David is your man!
Some note absence of miracles in his story.  No Red Sea openings,  no dead Lazaruses walking etc.  No miracles.  But there is one.  A rough-edged walking wonder of God who neon-lights this truth:
                Focus on giants — you stumble
                Focus on God—- your giants tumble”