Facing Goliath

Posted by Dion Todd May 21st, 2024 1,343 Views 26 Comments

Your servant struck both the lion and the bear. This uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God." David said, "Yahweh, who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:36–37 WEB.

Goliath must have been a fearful sight to behold when he walked out onto the battlefield. He stood over nine feet tall. His bronze armor and weapons alone weighed one hundred and seventy-five pounds, which was probably more than young David did soaking wet. Goliath carried a sword, a javelin, and an enormous spear with an iron tip. He had an armor bearer that carried a large rectangular shield in front of him to block incoming attacks. Goliath would have been the historical equivalent of a modern-day tank rolling onto the battlefield.

The Philistine and Israelite armies faced each other and waited. Goliath walked out onto the battlefield twice a day, first in the morning, then in the evening, and he would challenge anyone in Israel to fight him. Saul, the king of Israel, was a head and shoulders taller than everyone else. He should have been the one to challenge Goliath (1 Samuel 10:23). But King Saul and the rest of the Israelite army cowered from Goliath's terrifying challenge for forty days.

Young David had three older brothers serving in the military, and his father sent him to deliver food and supplies to them. When David arrived, Goliath walked out onto the battlefield and taunted them again, and David heard it. David had been anointed by God years before by Samuel. While tending his father's sheep, he fought lions and bears and won. The Holy Spirit came upon David, and he accepted Goliath's challenge.

There are many lessons we can learn from this story. A key one is this: When David faced the worst thing he had ever encountered, he took the time to remember what God had already done for him. "God delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear. He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." David stayed positive, and he prophesied his future. David told Goliath: "Today, I will strike you down and take your head from you." Then he ran towards Goliath and did just that.

If you are facing some bad things now, remember what God has already done for you in the past. Say it, declare it, and speak nothing negative about the situation. "Lord, You have delivered me in the past. I know that You will deliver me from this as well! You have got this, and I choose to trust in You today. I will overcome."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, please forgive me for my lack of trust and for giving into fear when I should have taken a stand. Now here I stand. I choose to put my trust in You today. Deliver me from my enemies. Strengthen me to fight this battle, and share Your infinite knowledge with me so that I can overcome this. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: The Creation Photographer theme of the week is "Our Furry and Feathered Friends" and is wide open for interpretation! Until we get our groups area going, we invite you to share your photos on the website home page. As always, if you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network.