Lions, Bears, Giants [Devotion]

This week I wanted to talk about a scripture that has been near and dear to my heart throughout the duration of this journey. In 2016 Tabitha, Emily, Silas, and myself went to the Christian Worldview Film Festival. At this point we had not quite committed to Prodigal Princess but it was a project that we very much wanted to do. As we spent the beginning of the week attending speaking sessions and workshops I was confronted (yet again) with how impossible it was for us to make a movie, much less one like Prodigal. I remember Silas and myself slipping out to the front of the building during one of the workshops and I shared my doubts and fears. Silas suggested we pray about it and we did. As we were praying a passage that I had taught on just a few weeks before came to my mind. 1 Samuel 17:37, “David said, ‘The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’” For a little context David says this when talking to Saul about fighting Goliath. Saul looks at David and says, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth. (vs 33)” But David responds by saying, “…when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.“ Think for a second that as a young man he killed bears and lions with his bare hands! And yet when he faces the giant he not only trusts in God for the victory but acknowledges that his previous victories over the lions and bears were because of God! David looks at the track record of God’s faithfulness and has confidence that God will give him victory over the giant! All of this hit me in that moment of prayer and I thought back to the incredible track record of God’s faithfulness for AD 33 Productions since it all started with “Screwtape B.C.“ (a stage musical that I wrote with music composed by my brother) back in 2010. That and all God had done since flashed through my mind as our lions and bears and a sense of peace came over me as I realized that it didn’t matter if Prodigal was a giant since the God who had delivered me before would deliver me again, if I was walking in His will. So we walk forward into this massive project with confidence looking back at God’s faithfulness over the years trusting in His continued deliverance. Since 2010 God has been faithful in the production of 12 (soon to be 13) full length stage productions, 2 one act plays, 8 short films (most of which are in post production), and feature length documentary (Without Excuse: Science) not to mention all the other small projects that we’ve been engaged in personally or professionally. Remember that David’s trust was not in his arm (the arm that had held lions by the beard) but in the Lord! Take time to remember God’s track record of faithfulness in your life and let it fill you with confidence that He will be with you in days to come.