Article May 25, 1957 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from Mayte Richardson

From an editorial in The Advocate Burnie, Tasmania

From time to time it is evident that mankind generally suffers an acute lack of confidence in the future of the world. ...

To overcome this seeming difficulty individuals and, therefore, nations, need a good, firm backing. A humble shepherd boy demonstrated the power of such backing in a dramatic story told in the Old Testament. The boy David faced the biggest and strongest adversary the Philistines could send against the Israelites—Goliath. But whereas Goliath was armed with sword and spear and shield, David carried the simplest of weapons. Goliath had little or nothing to give him inward strength, relying solely on his own and the weaponmaker's skill; David cared little for the material means of battle, for he had faith in his God—and knew that "the Lord saveth not with sword and spear." Such confidence had the lad, indeed, that it is recorded he "hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine." It was truth hasting to meet and overcome error fully confident that God would support the right.

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