Aim Higher

The philosopher Francis Bacon said

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few are to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.”

The Bible falls into the category of books that should be chewed and digested. And not just once. I chuckle when I hear people say with bravura “oh, I’ve read the Bible” as if its contents can be easily understood all at once; or as if the purpose of reading the Bible is only to entertain or inform. The purpose of the Bible is to transform. As one of my mentors would often say, “we read some books, the Bible reads us.” As we wade into its depths, a divine presence meets us and challenges us to change and grow. The more I read the Bible, the more I see.

One evening I was feasting on some of the delicious chicken wings that my wife often prepares. When the feast was over and I was clearing my plate, she walked up to me and said “boy, you don’t know how to eat no chicken wings. You leave too much meat on the bone.” Her use of the double negative was strategic and intentional! LOL. The sad truth is that many of us read the Bible the way I eat chicken wings. We read certain stories, but leave too much meat on the bone. No matter how many times you may read a particular passage, there is always more meat on the bone.

I have read the story of David and Goliath countless times. But whenever I reread it, I always find more meat on the bone. The story of David and Goliath is the classic story of how a 17 year boy with no military experience (David) faces and defeats a nine foot tall seasoned veteran (Goliath) with nothing but a slingshot. The tale is told over 58 verses, one of the longest passages in all of scripture, and almost every detail brims with insight.

The aspect of the story that caught my eye earlier this week was how David defeated Goliath. What fascinated me was not so much the equipment he used, but the strategy he employed. David used a crude, unsophisticated weapon called a slingshot. It consisted of a leather pouch attached on two sides by a long rope. A rock would be placed in the pouch and aimed at a target. The right stone aimed at the right target from the right distance would be enough to disable and even dismember the intended target. And that’s exactly what happened. Let’s briefly revisit the scene. According to 1 Samuel 17:48-50,

As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword.

David hit Goliath in the forehead—the one place where Goliath didn’t have on any armor! The lesson here is not just about the equipment that David used. It is also about the strategy he employed. He aimed high! He hit the man in the forehead. If you think about it, it’s actually kind of funny. Of all places, I’m sure Goliath wasn’t expecting to be hit in the forehead.

So…here’s today’s question: What are you aiming at?

Far too many of us aim too low. Our fears, insecurities, frustrations, disappointments, mistakes, and both our real and imagined inadequacies lead us to pursue goals and objectives that are far less than what God may have in mind for us. We assume that certain opportunities are outside the pale of our possibility. We secretly entertain certain desires, and then convince ourselves that something like that could never happen to someone like us. But all of us need to learn from David. We need to aim higher.

There is a story I once read that makes the point much better than I can. I’m not sure if the story is true. But the point of the story certainly is.

There once was a man who had nothing for his family to eat. He had an old rifle and three bullets. So, he decided that he would go out hunting and kill some wild game for dinner.

As he went down the road, he saw a rabbit. He shot at the rabbit and missed it. The rabbit ran away. Then he saw a squirrel and fired a shot at the squirrel and missed it. The squirrel disappeared into a hole in a cottonwood tree. As he went further, he saw a large wild Tom turkey in the tree, but he had only one bullet remaining.

A voice spoke to him and said, Pray first, aim high and stay focused!

However, at the same time, he saw a deer which was a better kill. He brought the gun down and aimed at the deer. But, then he saw a rattlesnake between his legs about to bite him, so he naturally brought the gun down further to shoot the rattlesnake. Still, the voice said again to him, I said ‘Pray, Aim high and Stay focused!

So, the man decided to listen to the voice. He prayed, then aimed the gun high up in the tree and shot the wild turkey. The bullet bounced off the turkey and killed the deer. The handle fell off the gun and hit the snake in the head and killed it. And when the gun had gone off, it knocked him into a pond.

When he stood up to look around, he had fish in all his pockets, a dead deer and a turkey to eat for his family.

The man was able to feed his family because he aimed high.

Who knows what blessings God has waiting for you if you pray, aim high and stay focused!