Are We Prepared For Eternity?

For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s (Romans 14:8ESV).

I was scheduled to preach at a friend's fellowship at Kasoa on Sunday 7th June, 2015. I live at Kuntunse. It meant I will be driving about 3hours on a highway to get to my destination. A total of six hours journey.

Before leaving home, I did something I rarely do. Usually, I pray for travelling mercies. But this time, when I sat by the steering, with the recent disaster that hit our nation fresh in my memory, the reality dawn on me: this could be my last trip. I might not return. There was no guarantee I was going to return.

With fear in my heart and a teary eye, I bowed my head and prayed "Father, If this journey happens to be my last, please receive me home safely through faith in Christ".
Fact is, there is no guaranteed protection from all of lives dangers because you are a Christian. Over the past weeks, stories of people who survived the flood and fire has being circulating. Some assert to an unknown hand that saved them from the fire. Glory to God!

But, while we are sharing the testimonies about how God saved people from the fire and floods, let's not lose sight of the fact that there are, or might have been believers in that inferno who perished. Yes, they perished! The God they served didn't save them. They might have probably prayed in the morning for safety while leaving home; yet they didn't return. Has God abandoned them? Did their faith fail? No, death is inevitable. How we die has no bearing on our level of Faith. "... it is appointed for man to die once"(Hen 9:27). While celebrating the stories of "escape", let's be sensitive to those who lost lives and property. "Mourn with those who mourn", that's biblical.

Let us put away the easy believism where Christians suppose they have an entitlement to life, and God will always deliver them from danger. God doesn't  always deliver from danger including death. We will all die. Some by fire, some by floods, some by disease, some by natural causes. Whatever way we are taken home, one question is important. Are we prepared for eternity?

Grieving With Hope

On 3^rd June, 2015, the capital city, Accra, was hit by torrential rains submerging many parts of the city. The Daily Graphic in an online news headline "Apocalypse in Accra! 150 Dead so far in floods, inferno" reported the devastating effects of the rains:

Flooding, resulting from torrential rains, brought Accra to its knees last Wednesday night, with unimaginable loss of lives and destruction of properties. By press time yesterday, the death toll had hit a staggering 107.Seventy-six of the victims were killed at a fuel station that exploded in the midst of the rains, while many others who suffered serious burns were taken to major hospitals in the city.¹

Also, “President John Mahama has declared three days of national mourning of some 200 citizens who lost their lives in an explosion and deadly floods in the capital, Accra."² The presidential candidate of the opposition NPP is also reported to have said: “It is a tragedy, a major tragedy for Accra. It is a dark moment in the history of our city”³

These media reports presents us with an imagery (I hope it does) of the wreckage that "brought Accra to its knees". The day after the floods, as will be expected, and rightly so, the electronic media’s agenda was driven by the incident. During one of the radio phone in sessions, a caller, who phoning in to express his grief, queried the host in response to his (host’s pleasantries) "What is good about the morning?"

“What is good about the morning?” That startled me! The caller has life and he is asking what's good about the morning?

Truth be told. No matter how despondent our situation; being alive is enough reason to give thanks to God. Is today, despite the ghastly aftermath of the rains, the day the Lord has made? Then Scripture says, "Rejoice in it". Are you faced with an insurmountable situation? Rejoice. Rejoicing in hard times is tough. Nonetheless, Scripture says that is what we must do: "Rejoice".

The Apostles reiterated these truths in their epistles.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.(1 Thes. 5:16-18). 

 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.(Phil 4:4). 

 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,(James 1:2).

"Rejoice…In all things give thanks...count it all joy". Are these not mere placebos and denials? Doesn't Scripture tell us there is a time for everything, including a time for mourning (Eccl 3:4). Certainly, as humans, we must grieve when it hurts. However, if Scripture tells us to "Rejoice", we must pay attention and obey.

As Christians, to rejoice in difficult times is not escapism or living in denial. It means grieving as people who have hope. “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope”(1 Thes. 4:13). All humans grieve. But some grieve with hope and others grieve without hope. The latter live their lives for the here and now. They have no hopes of a life hereafter. The believer however knows that, the suffering of this present time cannot be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us. We also know that nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ. We also know that, one day, we will spend eternity in the glorious presence of our King and Saviour where there will be no tears or pains.

These and many promises of the Bible give us hope even when we are grieving. It is good to often remind ourselves of the hope that is stored up for us in Christ Jesus. We must not become short sighted and forget that being alive is in itself a blessing. Every day is another opportunity to ravish in God’s unceasing steadfast love and mercy. His love and mercy renewed everyday. In the grave, no one can praise God.

If you are alive today, Praise the Lord! And to those who lost loved ones and relatives, my sincere condolences.

When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,Count your many blessings, name them one by one,And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.⁴

Notes

1 http://www.graphic.com.gh/news/general-news/44214-apocalypse-in-accra-150-dead-so-far-in-floods-inferno.html

2: http://m.myjoyonline.com/marticles/opinion/floods-mahama-declares-3-days-of-mourning

3 :http://citifmonline.com/2015/06/04/floods-and-goil-fire-a-dark-moment-in-accras-history-nana-addo/#sthash.LIG9d5vW.DjjN65av.dpuf

4: http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/c/o/countyou.htm

Faith In Uncertainty.

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.(Hebrews 11:8)

If Abraham were a member of today's church, he will score a straight F in "Steps To Successful Living". "...he went out, not knowing where he was going" That's absurd! If subjected to today's success principles; Abraham's action will fail abysmally as a success strategy. Here are a few ones Abraham was acting contrary to: "Be Specific, know what you want and Go for it". "If you don't know where you're going, any road will lead you there". "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail".

Abraham---by worldly standards-- was jeopardising his future. He was undertaking a journey with no destination in mind. He set out holding on to only a promise of God. He was specific about nothing. He planned nothing. He set out only by faith in God and His promises.

"By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God."(vs 9-10).

Abraham journeyed with only a promise of God with no detailed road map; but only faith and Obedience to Him who called.

Don't misunderstand me. I am not proposing a life that says "Que Sera, Sera" (Whatever Will Be, Will Be). That is not faith! That is fatal determinism and the Bible doesn't teach that. The Bible calls believers to be diligent, hard working and make wise choices based on sound judgement from His word; explicitly or implicitly. We are called to put our trust in God and obey His word; "By Faith Abraham obeyed...."

Just like Abraham, God calls believers to a life of faith and obedience without giving us the details. This naturally presents us with uncertainty.  However, in such moments of uncertainty, all we can do is continue to believe God, hold on to His word in obedience.

Can you for a second attempt to read into the minds of some who went ahead of us in the faith? Try hard! Get into Joseph's mind while he was languishing in jail with his dream still fresh on his mind. What was going on in his mind? Uncertainty! How about Moses? He was forty years when he fled Egypt. By the time God appeared to him, he was eighty years. What was going on in his mind during those moments of God's silence? Uncertainty! David has been anointed King of Israel, yet he lived in the wilderness and in caves as a vagabond. What has happened to the promise of God?

What do you do when God seem silent in your situation, things are getting out of hands, pressure is mounting and you are clueless, "not knowing where you are going?

What do you do?

By Faith, "look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" and obey His revealed will in His word. Leave the unknown to Him: "He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it." (1Thessalonians 5:24). 

Four Reasons To Be Bold In 2015

2 Timothy 1:6-7 ,  1 Corinthians 1:1-39

"Keep focus, Don't Give Up, Have a plan, Extend Your Network, Take Risks, Be Positive" and many more of these self-help strategies swamped my mind while preparing to speak to a Christian youth group on the theme "Take A Bold Step Into 2015". I only have to open my Bible and garnish these points with "practical living" biblical texts and I have a ready message to deliver.  But how different would my message be from what they might have heard all year round? I asked myself. In deep thought, I concluded that too much emphasis has been placed on these self-help strategies , especially on pulpits that must be preaching the gospel of Christ and I wasn't going to add to an already pathetic situation. Don't get me wrong. Self-help strategies are in themselves not bad. But when they are given prominence over the gospel, then we must raise eyebrows. The truth is people can be taught all the self-help strategies, attain all the success imaginable and yet be damned to eternal damnation: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?" (Matthew 16:26).

Here are four points gleaned from the message I delivered to my friends in the youth group.

1: You Are Called By God

Paul, called by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and our brother Sosthenes, To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours(1 Corinthians1:1-2).

From Paul's salutation to the church in Corinth, we learn a vital truth: If you are a believer, you are "called by the will of God" (Romans 8:29-30, John 1:12-13 ). God, before the foundations of the earth, set you aside as a chosen vessel to reveal His glory (Romans 9:23). Paul was called by the will of God to be an apostle. The believers in the church of Corinth were also called. God's calling is not in relation to any inherent good in us. Our calling is rooted in God's mercy and His grace (Ephesians 2:1-10 ). Like Paul and the Corinthian believers; every believer is called with an assignment to fulfill. We are not on a "self-sent" assignment on earth. Our lives, our breath, our purpose for existence all takes its source from God. "In Him we live, move and have our being"(Acts 17:28). We are all on God's assignment.  He brought us on earth for His purpose, His will, His plan and His agenda. Our life originates and evolves  around God and what He created us for. If there is any truth that will sustain us in 2015, it is that we take our existence from God. We are, because He is: self-existent and all sufficient. We take our sufficiency from Him. We are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10 ) and without Him, we can do nothing (John 15:5 ). God Is Our source of Existence.  The Bible opens with the words "In the beginning God..."(Genesis 1:1).Our lives and the whole of the Universe takes its source from God(John 1:3-4) This knowledge and truth will make a lot of difference in your life in 2015.

2. You Have The Holy Spirit: Not A Spirit Of Fear

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)

Every believer has the seal of the indwelling Holy Spirit and that's enough assurance of security. "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory".(Ephesians 1:13-14).Now  2015 is a new year, we haven't walked this path before, so for some, it will create fear and anxiety. That is normal. Change comes with the unknown. The unknown comes with fear and uncertainty. Everything new always produces a level of anxiety and nervousness. Will I win, will this turn out well? Can I truly do this? Fear is a potent power that can ground and immobilize anyone to try new things. Fear will stop you from entering the place of change God has for you. Fear I believe is “faith in the devil.” From 2 Timothy 1: 7 it is clear fear is a spirit— a spirit not from God. “… God hath not given us the spirit of fear.” If fear is not a spirit from God, then obviously, it originates from Satan. Now, as much as fear is an enemy for change, fear itself is not the problem. The problem is what we do with fear: whether we will allow it to immobilize us or serve as a springboard for greater things. If placed in a right perspective; fear will drive us to our only source of strength— God ( Acts 4:29 ). You can overcome fear— you have the Holy Spirit.

3. 2015: Incomparable To Eternity

I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus... as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.(1 Corinthians 1:4-9).

Every born again believer carries a secure eternal promise. The faithfulness of God that called us in His dear Son will sustain us until eternity. That's guaranteed. Nobody can snatch you from the Father's hands(John 10:29 ) and nothing can separate us from the Father's love(Romans 8:35 ). That's security: in this present age and the ages to come. God will take care of you. Nothing can jeopardise the future and security over your life.  The greatest question you must ask yourself however is "Am I one of His"?. Many people sit in church who have no relationship with God through Christ Jesus. They have good Christian upbringing but they are not born again. Some came looking for a solution because they heard Jesus will solve all their problems. Are you called of the Lord? Are you a saint in Christ? Are you you born again? Will your success in 2015 stand the test of time in eternity? Settling your eternal destination is bigger than any achievements in 2015. Ponder that.

4. God's Vessels Are Ordinary People.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being  might boast in the presence of God.(1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

"Foolish, weak, unwise...". These are not befitting words to describe anybody. But that is how God describes those He calls. Now, In an age of abundant success formulas, the world lures us away "from the simplicity in Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3). As Christians, we can easily be held "...captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ"(Colossians 2:8). We can easily get trapped in a man centered Christianity where we have to do so much to be blessed by God. We might be tempted to seek a certain level of "spiritual or social status" to court God's favour.  The Bible however tells us "it is not by might, but the Spirit of God. Scripture is littered with "nobodies" whose lives were turned around by God. Every vessel of God is an ordinary vessel. But God is extraordinary and He works in an extraordinary way to bring His purpose to pass in ordinary vessels. If you are a believer, you can be bold in 2015 because you qualify as a vessel of God. God takes unqualified people and qualifies them. John Piper, a minister of the gospel wrote that “when it comes to being a candidate for grace, your background has nothing to do with God’s choice”.  Many of the people God worked through and is working through were not, are not and will never be the obvious choice of society. Why? So that no human will have cause to glory in God’s presence. Be bold, you Ur an ordinary vessel of God.

Seeking For Truth: Lessons From The Gospel of John Chapter 3

Continued from Previous Post

The Relationship Between God and The World Part 2

For God so loved the world...(John 3:16)

When I sat down last night to write today's topic, I overheard my kids singing..Jesus Loves The Little Children/All the children of the world/Red, brown, yellow, black and white/They are precious in His sight/Jesus loves the little children of the world ....I listened to them and in the process, they interrupted my train of thoughts...I was going to talk about Agape, Storge, Philia, Eros...and other Greek meanings of the word Love.

Now, these kids, in their innocence and carefree life(what is life all about is not in their vocab) would never ask questions about the love of God. Jesus loves the little children; a child's world: No questions asked! It is us adults, grown up men and women, who  start asking questions when the love of God is mentioned. If you have been around for a considerable number of years, you would have had your fair share of the pains, hurts and disappointments in life.

The struggles, the dashed dreams, the broken hearts, finances that won't balance, wayward children, rejection, emotions that won't cooperate with your brains...It is rare to find a person who hasn't encountered any challenge of any sort in this life. One of the hardest hit man in human history, Job, aptly described the nature of life. He said: "...man is born unto trouble..." (Job 5:18).

In a space of twenty-four hours, he lost all he had; such a great contradiction in the life of a man who was "...perfect and upright...feared God, and eschewed evil" (job 1:1). His was not a twenty-four hour miracle. His was a twenty-four hour disaster.

The pains, hurts and disappointments of this life in themselves are not the real problem; they are just the symptoms of the real problem. Sin is the real problem, but unfortunately, we seem to focus on dealing with the symptom instead of the real ailment: sin. When sin was first introduced into God's creation, it came with its accompanying calamities worse of which was separation from God: When Adam and Eve fell, the whole human race plummeted with them and their judgement became humanity's judgement; death and toil:

"...I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." (Genesis 3:15-18).

After the pronouncement of judgement, man was driven away from the presence of God and that gulf of separation remains till today until one comes to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Loves The Little Children/All the children of the world/Red, brown, yellow, black and white/They are precious in His sight/Jesus loves the little children of the world...is not only true in a child's world. It is equally true in an adult's life.

God created us and wants to reconcile us back unto Himself and to the uninterrupted relationship and fellowship he intended from the beginning. Nothing will satisfy our yearning souls until we direct it towards the very owner of that soul. He created us for Himself and knows the needs of our hearts. The emptiness cannot be filled with anything. Sex will not do. Drugs will not do. Alcohol will not do. Materialism will not do. Wealth and prosperity will not do. At best, they can only numb the pain; but "...what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36).

Dispelling Fear Through Faith In God's Word

If faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), then, it follows logically that fear and unbelief, comes by hearing, and hearing words that are not from God.

I can safely say fear or unbelief comes by hearing, and hearing the words and lies of Satan. Fear and unbelief are just words that are contrary to faith in God's word; they are "tares among wheat". Words generate faith or fear.

In the most famous David and Goliath battle in Scripture, we see the power of words at display. Goliath, described as the champion of the Philistine, used words to instil fear into the hearts of military men.

And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid....And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them... And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" (1 Samuel 17:10-11, 23-26).

Notice how Goliath used words to demoralise men -mighty men - of valour: “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” (vs11).

Now, bearing in mind Goliath's words, note that the same words that sent shivers down the spine of men, were the same words heard by David, a teenager. But his response was different. He took Goliath's words as an affront to God. “…for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”. He responded with faith in God:

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." (vs 45)

David dared Goliath based on his faith in God and his faithfulness: "David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine..."(vs37).

In any situation, make a choice to choose faith over fear and doubt. Take God at His word: "...hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19).‪

Great Is Thy Faithfulness Part Three

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceaseth; his mercies never come to an end they are new every morning; GREAT IS YOUR FAITHFULNESS (Lamentations 3:22-23 ESV).

"Great is your faithfulness". 

Those words, if care is not taken, will appear like words written in response to a great breakthrough, blessings or a massive, joyous victory procession.

No, not at all, they were scripted in intense anguish and torment of soul. Ever experienced personal pain and crisis? The whole world seems to be against you. The heavens feel like brass and your prayers, you are tempted to believe it just bounces off your roof. Life becomes flat. As if that's not enough, you bring yourself to believe God has gone silent on you.That's exactly Jeremiah's emotions towards Jerusalem's destruction: "...when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer (vs 8). 

Such pain and anguish! If God shuts out my prayer, who else will I turn to? Yet, in all these, Jeremiah found hope in God. He didn't get depressed and despondent while lamenting over Jerusalem. Rather, he was humbled and found hope in God. Read his words in vs 19-21:" 

19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope". In his adversity and mourning; he paused, probably, to blow his nose, wipe his tears and ponder the faithfulness of God in the midst of it all.

Look up the vs 21 again: " This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope". What did he recall to mind? See vs 22-23. That's what he recalled to mind: God's steadfast love, his unending mercy and his GREAT FAITHFULNESS. 

There is hope in adversity when we ponder God's love, His mercies and His faithfulness. Every misfortune of life is an opportunity for God to be glorified in us. Adversity is God's refinery; through which He refines and polishes our lives for His glory: "...he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

God is faithful and "great is His faithfulness". His promises are immutable. Regardless of our circumstances, God has an agenda for our lives that is greater than our minds can imagine. Furthermore, God's faithfulness has nothing to do with our faithfulness. It has nothing to do with how well we try to obey God: "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." (2 Timothy 2:13). He cannot deny himself, whatever He has promised, He will accomplish. It's not about us, it's about His integrity; the glory of His name and His word. Hold on to the promises of God, especially His promises in His word, because it is His words He watches over to perform. Every promise of God for our lives should deeply be rooted in His word.

For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee. And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: that by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil. (Hebrews 6:13-19).

THE POWER OF WORDS

Image: digitalbloggers.com

If faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17), then, it follows logically, that fear or unbelief also comes by hearing, and hearing the word of Satan. I dare say that any word that sends fear down your spine is not from God, it has an origin from Satan. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear…” (1 Timothy 1:7) Words have the power to break down or build up. Encouraging words build, discouraging words breaks down.  

In a very popular battle tagged as David and Goliath, we see the power of words at display. Goliath, described as the champion of the Philistine, used words to instil fear and drive away courage from the hearts of military men.

1 Samuel 17

10:And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.

11:When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.

23:And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them.

26And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 

It seems words was a military strategy in Biblical days and still is. In 2 Kings 18:29-37, we see another incident of a military strategy, where words were used to send fear signals.  Now, in 1 Samuel 17, you realise how Goliath used words to break down the hearts of men, mighty men. “When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.” But there is an interesting part of this story. The same words that put fear into the hearts of men, was heard by a  teenager, and he interpreted those words differently because his faith was grounded in God— God’s word, not Goliath’s word “…the Philistine of Gath…spake according to the same words: and David heard them.” (vs20).  In verse 26 of 1 Samuel, we see the response of David to the intimidating words of Goliath “…for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”  

Now, I believe that every bad report, discouraging or frightening words, be it a bad medical report, a bad news about a business deal gone bad, a threatening boss etc. — is not necessarily about us. It is an affront to the glory of God in our life. It is an attempt by the enemy to sow fear and doubt in our hearts concerning God. The enemy is not after our lives per se, he is after the glory God displays through our lives. So the next time the enemy uses words to generate fear and doubt in your mind about God, counteract those words with faith in the word of God. : Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. (Romans 8:37)

Note the difference carefully: “Faith in the Word of God” not “Positive thinking”. There is, I believe, a world of difference between faith and positive thinking and the former is what Scriptures advices. David did not just confront Goliath with words of positive thinking. He dared Goliath based on his faith in God and his faithfulness.

1 Samuel 17

34: And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

35: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36:  Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

37:  David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. 

“The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.” Now this is not mere Positive thinking and believing in one’s ability. This is faith grounded in God. The strategy for a believer is not to think positive thoughts—there are limits to positive thinking. The strategy is to think faith: Faith in the word of God (Romans 10:17), and that my friend can turn around any negative onslaught of words against your life from the camp of the enemy.