I'M GONNA' WHIP YO' BUTT!

We all know the story of David and Goliath. It's intriguing. The giant Goliath, a Philistine, issued this challenge to the Israelites: send one man out to fight me. Whoever wins between us is the winner of the battle. The losing army will become the slaves of the other army.

My husband Milton preached on David and Goliath Sunday. He talked about the Goliaths in our lives and how we can conquer them with God's help, just as David slew Goliath.

Incidentally, the Bible says Goliath was about 9 1/2 feet tall. That's over two feet taller than basketball star Shaquille O'Neal. Wikipedia.org says perhaps Goliath had a disorder that made him so tall. Maybe so.

A few weeks ago, we kept our grandboys for a few days and were taking them home--several hours in the car. They're active little boys, so I tried to occupy them while Milton drove. A DVD player. Coloring books. Stories. Songs with accompaniment via CDs. If I sang "We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo, How About You? You? You?" once, I sang it 50 times.

"One more time, Nana," they begged.

And it was a catchy tune.

Then I pulled out the story of David and Goliath. I had flannel board figures, and one look at the headliner of the car (ceiling), and I knew I'd found my flannel board.

"David whipped Goliath's butt, didn't he, Nana?" the first-grader asked.

I laughed. That gave me an idea.

I pressed David and his sheep to the ceiling.

They oohed and ahed.

I proceeded to tell them the story complete with voice intonations, pauses, and exuberance.

I pressed David and King Saul to the ceiling. I told them David went to see King Saul and said...

Pause.

"I'm gonna' whip Goliath's butt!"

The boys giggled uproariously.

I proceeded through the story, using that line to maximum effect over and over, the boys laughing like hyenas. I'd never seen them laugh so hard. They were writhing in their seats with laughter.

I kept pressing flannel board figures to the ceiling. More sheep. David in armor. David out of armor. The armies. The hillside. David and his sling. David gathering stones, all the while inserting that line.

David and Goliath facing each other.

"You come to me with a sword and a spear," David shouted up at Goliath, "but I come to you in the name of the Lord..."

Pause.

"And I'm gonna' whip yo' butt."

The boys died laughing.

I kept it up.

Even Milton was laughing uproariously, his shoulders shaking.

"Did you hear me, Goliath?" David yelled. "I'm gonna' whip yo' butt!"

When Milton was preaching last Sunday, I kept thinking, wouldn't it be funny if he used that line in his sermon? Not! May I add here, I'm a genteel Southern lady and have never used that term or line, but it seemed appropriate that day with the boys.

But I'd like to use it here.

For this reason:

Somebody reading this is under attack by the enemy of your soul. Maybe it's in your finances. Maybe it's your children, little kids or grownups. Maybe it's a conflict with your spouse. Maybe it's about your career.

I want you to get a mental picture.

Your Goliath is looming tall in front of you.

You're quivering, wondering what you're going to do.

Perhaps you're discouraged, depressed.

I want you to literally shake your fist in your Goliath's face and say...

"I come to you in the name of the Lord!"

"And..."

Pause.

"I'm gonna' whip yo' butt!"

Then literally twirl your slingshot around your head, and picture a stone hitting your Goliath.

He's now on the ground.

Defeated.

Now say, "Thank You, Lord." God has done the work!

Now live in that victory. Go forth encouraged!