Reconciled
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Introduction
When a Trial Becomes a Trophy
It is no secret to the Christians that we serve an all powerful God. His mighty, sovereign hand is ever present in our lives, working all things to the good of those that love Him and are called according to His purpose. There is no doubt that some of His provisions and miracles go unnoticed in our everyday life. But every now and then the Lord does something so amazing, so spectacular, that even non believers can’t help but be touched in one way or another.
Whenever I think about this truth, my mind goes back to the ageless story of David and Goliath. Standing at nine feet, nine inches tall, Goliath was an intimidating force. This captain of the Philistines stood before the armies of Israel daring any man to challenge him. For forty days he offered that if any man from Israel would fight and defeat him that the Philistines would be their servants. However, no one, not even king Saul dared to fight him.
Then along comes this young shepherd boy by the name of David. The only reason that he was at the battlefield was because his father had sent him to bring food to his brothers. Not long after David arrived on the scene Goliath went before the armies of Israel with his same insults and his challenge. David was enraged. He said “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
After much convincing, King Saul agreed to let this youth fight to the death with this giant. David knew that the Lord would win the battle for him. Armed only with a small staff, a sling, and five smooth stones he had taken from the brook, David went out to fight this great man of war!
As he approached Goliath, he shouted unto him, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand.” As the giant ran unto him, David placed a stone into his sling and let it fly! The stone sunk into Goliaths forehead and down he went. The Lord had won the battle for David, and for Israel.
Think about the scene when this little Shepherd boy slang a stone at that giant, and his body fell to the earth. I bet for those first few moments after Goliath hit the ground that there was such a Holy hush that fell over that place, you could’ve heard a pin drop. There stood both the people of God and the enemies of God watching as this miracle took place. No one of a sane mind could have given David credit for what happened that day. After all, Goliath’s sword was almost as big as David was! People no doubt went home that day talking not such much about what David had done, but rather about what God had done. <.br>
Through David, the Lord had turned a trial into a great trophy. What was once, “we can never defeat that great and terrible giant of war”, turned into, “God delivered us from the hand of Goliath and of the Philistines with just a shepherd boy and a sling!”
The Lord has brought one of those “Holy hush” events into our lives, and my mother and I feel compelled to tell it. We want to share our “trophy” with the world. And we are confident that the readers will know that God did it.
We’re not seeking for just a temporary, emotional feeling. Rather, we want some life changing decisions to be made as a result of what the Lord has done in our lives. We want to see lost souls come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. We want Christians to be comforted and strengthened as they wait for the Lord to turn their trial into a trophy. And lastly, we want the young girl out there who is pregnant and scared because she has no means to care for a child, that there is hope! If there is one thing that we have learned through this experience, it is that God has a plan for every life, and that no one is here by accident. Dear reader, you’re life is precious to God. He gave His only begotten son Jesus Christ, that you might have life and have it more abundantly. Lost person will you give your soul to Him? Christian will you give your life to Him?
The great evangelist D.L. Moody once said, “The world has yet to see what God can do with a man fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that man.” Could you be that man or that woman that stands in the gap for someone else? How might God use your life to help others in need? Consider these things as you read this book. We hope it will be a blessing to you.
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About the Book
It is no secret that we serve an all-powerful God. His mighty, sovereign hand is ever-present on our lives, working for the good of all who love Him and are called according to His purpose. In our busy lives, we undoubtedly miss some of God’s daily miracles and provisions. But every now and then, the Lord does something so amazing that even nonbelievers can’t help but be touched in some way.
Such an event occurs in author Brandon Vaughan’s Reconciled. This inspirational memoir tells the story of Brandon and his nineteen-year-old mother Cheryl, who were separated at birth. She never even got to hold him before he was taken away. More than twenty-five years pass before she discovers his name. Despite their separation, she often wondered about him, what kind of a family he had, what kind of a young man he was growing up to be. Brandon had questions, too, and was unsure of how they could be answered. Could Providence cause their paths to cross even after all these years?
In Reconciled, you’ll follow their individual trials and triumphs. You’ll learn how God truly does have a plan for every life and how His plan reconciled mother and son.
About the Author
Brandon Vaughan answered the Lord’s call to preach at age seventeen. Since then, he has joyfully served in almost every aspect of the ministry. Currently, he is the pastor at Little Sandy Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He and his wife, Leah, have two children, Wesley and Allison.