VALLEY OF ELAH
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 16-20

"Saul countered by gathering his troops near the valley of Elah. So the Philistines and Israelites faced each other on opposite hills, with the valley between them." 1 Samuel 17:2-3 NLT

It just so happened that it rained heavily on the eighth day of our trip to Israel. So heavily in fact that a few of the planned stops were shortened and left undone, but we were blessed by our tour guide and our bus driver to get an unplanned trip to the Valley of Elah.

We drove between the hills the fighting armies would have been camped upon.

We drove over the little creek in the valley where David very well may have picked up his five smooth stones.

We were able to view both sides of the battlefield from the comfort and dry of our tour bus.

We did not get to stop and pick up a few stones for our possession.

That kind of burst my bubble.

You see, the valley of Elah was the one place that was on the top of my list of where I most wanted to go when in the Holy Land. I wanted a rock from that area. A real Goliath-killing rock. A keepsake.

But this morning I'm thinking, it wasn't the rock that I really wanted...it was the courage David exhibited that day.

I want it for my valleys.

I want it for the times when my enemy faces me--and he looks very, very big.

I want David's kind of courage for when it's my turn to take a stand for my God.

I want it for when I'm given nothing more than 'a handful of stones' and the cowering watch to see just what I'm going to do.

Wait a minute, I have it!

God lives in me so no giant will overwhelm me, no battle will scare me, no impossible task exists with Him on my side...and I don't even need a rock!