Go down into the valley

On one hill is the army of the Philistines. On another hill the army of Israel.
Thousands of soldiers facing each other.
Between those two armies, a valley. The valley will soon become a battlefield. In the ranks of the Philistines there is a warrior and a champion. A giant of a man. Every morning and every evening Goliath comes down alone onto the battlefield. He looks up to the Israelites and shouts: ‘I defy the armies of Israel. Give me a man that we might fight together!’ When he finishes his speech, he heads back to his camp. Goliath goes through that same scenario every day, for 40 days. When King Saul and all of the Israelites hear the words of the Philistine, they are terrified.

They are God’s people. God’s army. Anointed for battle. But when one man comes
down into the valley they are paralyzed with fear!
In God’s Church today there are a lot of people on top of the hill. Most of them are
enjoying great worship. Attending great conferences. Reading good Christian books.
They are well equipped and anointed for battle. But when the giants come onto the
battlefield, they freeze. There are so many valleys in our world today, where giants of all kinds are still defying the Name of God:
The valley of Central Asia where millions are still held in darkness.
The valley of slum communities across the third world where corruption, poverty and hopelessness are rampant.
The valley of our big cities in Western Europe where the giants of secularism, the
occult and greed reign.
Where do you stand today? On the hill? Or in the valley?
It is always easier to be with the majority of God’s people. It’s safer on the mountain. You can stay up there till you die. Or you can make your way down to the battlefield. The Bible tells us about David, a young shepherd boy. He is too young to be a soldier but he has 3 brothers in the army. One day his Dad calls him: ‘David, take these loaves of bread and cheese to your brothers.’

As David arrives the Philistine and Israelite forces are facing each other.
But as soon as the giant appears, the whole army of Israel runs away from him.
When David sees Goliath he turns to the soldiers and says: ‘Who is this pagan
Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God? ’.
The majority is too scared to face the giant. The minority (one young man) is ready to stand up for God.

Edmund Burke, a well known philosopher once wrote that ‘for the triumph of evil, all
that is necessary is for good men to do nothing’. Where do you belong? The day you decide to go onto the battlefield and face the giants, don’t expect everyone to get excited.

David’s own brothers looked down on him: ‘Who do you think you are? Why did you
come here? Who is taking care of the sheep you’ve left behind?’
The king himself makes things worse by saying: ‘David, you are not able to fight the
Philistine. You are just a young boy. He is a man of war’.
If you decide to spend your next summer holidays helping out in a refugee camp, you won’t make everybody happy.
If you announce you are off with a mission to fight giants in Niger, Albania or
Indonesia your friends won’t all be cheering.
The day your family sees you leave the hill of comfort and head for the valley of God’s service, they probably won’t understand.
Where is the valley God is calling you to?
What are the giants God has called you to face?
There are still not enough workers in the valley. The giants will not fall by themselves. God is looking for people who will go, regardless of the cost.
In different parts of the world I have met ordinary men and women in all kinds of
valleys, slaying giants for Jesus.

I think of Helen, an English woman who for years has been facing the giants of child
trafficking in Cambodia. Or Dave, in the state of Utah in America facing the giant of Mormonism. Hundreds have found Christ through his ministry. Or Ali, a born again Algerian who passionately reaches out to his fellowmen across the great valley of North Africa. None of those 3 servants of God know each other. But they have one thing in common: They have responded to the call.

On two occasions I have visited the ministry of Bill Wilson in New York City. When he arrived in the 70s on the ‘battlefield of Brooklyn’ he faced huge giants: gangs, rape, violence, drugs, prostitution... He started out by himself in ministering to street kids. Today he has the biggest Sunday school in America. Every week 25 000 children are exposed to the Gospel. Bill is over 60 years old now, but has no plan of retiring. He will stay in the valley till the Lord calls him home.
Don’t head back to the hill. Every month 1200 pastors across America quit the
ministry. Don’t join them.

David then picked up five smooth stones from a stream. God has given you stones. He has anointed you and he has equipped you. Don’t keep your stones in your pockets! Use your sling. He has given you all you need to face the giants.

Amy Carmichael, great missionary to India once said: ‘We have all eternity to
celebrate the victories, but only a few hours before sunset to win them’.
Remember: When you walk out onto the battlefield, you are not alone. God is with you.

The same David wrote in the famous 23rd Psalm: ‘Even when I walk through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid. For you are with me.’
Whether you are slaying giants in a run down hospital in Mali or in a remote village in Greece, He is with you.
Bottom line: If you’re not in any valley, look for one and get involved!

Timothée Paton, with ICA in Cambodia
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