LOOK WHAT I DID!

David & Goliath

Key Verse

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

1 Samuel 17:45

Read 1 Samuel 17

Key Points

• The perfect person for a God job may seem the most unlikely

• Faith in God was David’s greatest weapon

• Big is not always best

Overview

The perfect person chosen by God to do a job may seem the most unlikely

Young David visits the battlefield to check on his brothers and what does he find? The army of the Philistines on one side of a valley, taunting their enemy. The army of Israel standing in fear on the other side of the valley. And in the middle, the huge warrior of the Philistines named Goliath, waiting to take on any one soldier willing to come down to fight him to the death. That was the deal. Two warriors going up against one another and the army of the victor would be declared the winner of the war.

David was confused by the standoff. Then he was angry that no one would step up to represent their nation and their God. So David volunteered to go against Goliath. This was an unlikely match. David was so small, he couldn’t even wear the king’s armor to help protect him. David didn’t care. He had the Lord and he knew that was all he needed.

Faith in God was David’s greatest weapon

Much is said about the stones and slingshot David used to bring down Goliath but it was David’s faith in the Lord that was his greatest weapon. David knew the people of Israel were God’s chosen people and he knew he was chosen by God to go up against Goliath to defend his nation and the Lord’s people and king. David’s faith was so strong that it almost came across as arrogance. David’s brothers told him to go home to care for the sheep. They thought he was showing off. David ignored them and went to see the king, telling Saul that God had delivered him, David, from harm before and David knew God would do it again. With no one else stepping up to face Goliath, Saul told David to go ahead.

Big is not always best

David may not have seemed like the best candidate to go up against Goliath on the surface of things. Yet it turns out he was the perfect opponent. He didn’t depend on any armament or skill in battle. He relied completely on his faith in the Lord and his skill with a slingshot. Goliath made fun of David and thought he would be able to easily and quickly defeat this boy. While some thought David’s overconfidence would be his downfall, it was Goliath’s arrogance that led to his defeat. Goliath cursed David in the name of his pagan Gods. David stood strong in the name of the God of Israel. And with one stone, David brought down the giant. David showed everyone that size and ability doesn’t matter when you have the power of the Lord on your side.

For Today

It is easy for us to think we are the wrong person for a task, project, etc. even when we believe God has called us as He called David. We let our fear, our self-doubt overwhelm us and our faith. Its bad enough we lose faith in ourselves but we lose faith in God when we allow our fear to take over. David didn’t have the right resume to go up against Goliath. It didn’t matter. God called him to take Goliath down and that’s just what David did. We may feel we don’t have what it takes to get the job done but God know what we can do in our own right and how much more we can do with the power of God.

It doesn’t always matter what we can do with our own abilities. It only matters what we are able to do when we have to support of God. David teach us a lot about having a strong faith during questionable times.

Faith Vs. Fear

What a brave young man! Or perhaps a foolish young man! David’s brothers thought he was showing off when David offered to fight Goliath and told him to go home. David wasn’t showing off, though. I believe David was filled with righteous indignation when he realized no member of King Saul’s army was willing to go against the large warrior. Wasn’t Saul chosen by the Lord to lead the nation? Weren’t these men in the service of the Lord in His army? How could they doubt for a moment that the Lord would not be with any man from Saul’s army that volunteered to go up against Goliath?

David was filled with a powerful faith. David had faced other challenges and found the Lord on his side every time. David had a personal and intimate relationship with the Lord and has absolutely no doubt the Lord would be with him once again as he faced Goliath. Fear never even affected David as he prepared to defeat Goliath. He was so confident that he refused armor and weapons, choosing only to fight the warrior with his slingshot and some stones.

It’s easy to think David was just a cocky kid that didn’t realize how dangerous the situation was. He knew it was dangerous. David knew God was with the nation of Israel and its people and God was with him. David went to face Goliath without any fear, filled with complete faith in the Lord. What a powerful testimony!

Consider This

Has God called you to do something & you felt totally wrong for the job?

What tools has God given YOU to do the job He wants done?

What are you able to do in a way no one else is able?