31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man's heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “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.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 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. 36 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.” 37 And 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.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” (1 Samuel 17;31-37, ESV)
Last week, we stopped at a Dunkin Donuts in our travels for breakfast. There was a young lady working behind the counter walking around with her phone right in front of her face. She must have been watching some live video, and said, “I don’t want to miss this, these people can wait.” Although she wasn’t helping me, I was completely annoyed by her comment. I stood there thinking, really you’re at work getting paid for your job, put the phone away. Although I refrained from voicing my opinion, you could say her comment rubbed me the wrong way.
I think it was a similar feeling for David here. He already had been anointed by Samuel, yet he was still the shepherd boy tending his flock. His father sends him to deliver food and check on the well being of his brothers. While David is there, Goliath came shouting his war cry defying the ranks of Israel. Goliath, a Philistine Giant, had been taunting the Israelites with fear morning and evening for forty days. As the men began to tell David about their current situation this immediately caught David’s interest. I guess we could say it rubbed him the wrong way and he began to ask questions. David’s inquiring quickly made it to the king!
As David approaches the Philistine Giant, Goliath begins to mock him. “45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand” (1 Samuel 17:47b).
David knew physically this was a battle he couldn’t win, but a battle God could. He was fully confident in the Lord. Goliath may have been a giant, but David knew his God was bigger. And THIS DAY was the day God would deliver them and the giant was going down.
When the giant was slain, King Saul asked David, “Whose son are you, young man?” And David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite” (1 Samuel 17:58, ESV). I could only imagine it must have been a WOW moment and Saul wanted to know whose son took down the giant. The giant had everyone in fear until the day the son of Jesse showed up.
In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul warns of the real battle we are fighting. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm (Ephesians 6:12-13, ESV). It’s a spiritual battle which we are not meant to fight in our own physical strength. It’s a battle we need God’s strength to fight and He sent His son to win. Like Goliath, Satan tries to taunt us with fear, but Jesus, the Son of God, the Son of David, has conquered Satan at the cross. By His death and resurrection Jesus has already won and was victorious.
Are the same things taunting us day after day, or maybe year after year? Are we trying to fight some of the same old spiritual battles or giants in our physical strength? (Maybe depression/oppression, physical or emotional health issues, trusting God, relationship struggles, addictions, financial struggles, etc.) May we not lose hope as we wait for Jesus to show up in the midst of our current battle!
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Let no one’s heart fail! Many of us are fighting the same old taunting giants day in and day out. I pray today may be the “this day” You will deliver the giant into our hands and it would be cut off from our lives. As we are facing the battles may you give us wisdom and discernment, strength and courage to stand firm. Remind of Your faithfulness; You have been faithful before and You will be faithful to the end. Jesus has conquered the enemy and in Christ, we will stand victorious!
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