E 179: The Man in the Mirror and the Man in the Arena

ONE DAY CLOSER with Mark & Dave

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Today we are going to take a look at a few Bible characters that most of us know quite well. But don’t let the title fool you…It’s not Michael Jackson.
David the Giant-Slayer and Joseph the Dream Interpreter.

Who hasn’t heard the story of David and Goliath? David - the shepherd boy turned giant-slayer. Before he became known throughout Judea, all of Israel, and around the world as a “mighty man of valor,” for his most courageous and noble battle in the valley of Elah, he was just a boy, the youngest of eight sons, and the least important in his fathers eyes. Yet in the eyes of His heavenly Father, David was a man after God’s own heart.
There's a lot we can learn about Godly character, faith, courage, patience, determination, holy boldness and confidence in God as we ponder the backstory of events going on in 1 Samuel 17.

David knew God. David knew his gifts and talents. He understood that the battle is God's, not his. We'll see how Goliath represents all the accusatory voices of darkness and oppression and how to ignore them.

Taking a closer look at Joseph, the dreamer and eventually the master architect of the first successful Food Management Program ahead of famine, we'll see that Joseph could have seen himself as a victim, but he carried on nonetheless.
Like David, he too was the youngest in his family. He too had unique gifts and was destine to be used by God to save many lives, but the pathway there would be fraught with many setbacks. Abandoned by his brothers for suggesting his star was brighter than theirs, they sold him into slavery in Egypt. But he found favor with Potaphor, and undesired favor from Potaphor’s wife…which leads to prison. While in prison, he shares an interpretation of a dream with two cell mates.
Like David, his reputation (his gifts, his attitude and his faithfulness to God) was recognized by others and proceeded him...opening the door to new opportunities.

So who do you see when you look into the mirror? Do you see the heart of a Lion, a mighty man of Valor and a man after Gods own heart, like David? Or do you see the timid, spineless fearful soldiers that refused to step forward to face Goliath?
Do you see yourself as a victim, wrongfully treated by your own family, wrongly accused and locked up in prison like Joseph was?

I hope the reflection you see in the Mirror, for maybe the first time in your life…is the man or women that God sees. A forgiven, embattled warrior for the KING that has been given more than enough to OVERCOME the Goliaths that haunt you. I hope you see yourself still in the fight, rendering your gifts freely even when you feel overlooked or maybe missed your chance, like Joseph did.

These are just a few of the Bible characters I discuss in my book Legacies of Valor: Traits of Character - The Noble and the Notable. You can find my book at
https://www.onedaycloser.biz/services-4 or wherever you buy books.
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly...,” Theadore Roosevelt