And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”
But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth: and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear, and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them. seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” 1 Samuel 17:33-37 NKJV.
Just so you have this in context, David has gone to bring provisions to the Israelite commander. His older brothers are soldiers in battle with the Israelite army. A giant has stepped out and held the entire Israelite army at bay for 40 days. We are told in verse 24 that all the men of Israel fled from Goliath when they saw him and were dreadfully afraid.
But this young shepherd boy, David, agrees to fight him. David isn’t full of pride in what he can do. He is confident in what he knows God can do.
In verse 45, David answered Goliath’s taunts with this, “You come to me with a sword, 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, who you have defied.”
David could have prayed, and God could have simply turned this giant into a puff of ashes, but God allowed this teenage shepherd boy to strike this giant down with a sling and a stone.
There are times as Christians when, like David, we find ourselves in the midst of a battle. And there are times when, like David, we must engage. I realize that for those of you who are non-confrontational, this can bring you out of your comfort zone. I’ll admit that I would rather things go smoothly. I’d rather everyone just get along, but we all know that because of the great influence that the devil has on many people in this world, this just doesn’t always happen.
Serving God is not always passive. Prayer sometimes requires action on our part. God will let us know when, but we must stand ready to answer the call.
We must choose faith over fear when we know we are doing what God has called us to do. We must also know that God will give us the strength we need to fight this battle. We are told in Philippians 4:13 that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. This means if God calls us into battle, He will provide all we need to fight this battle.
He will also go with us. In Deuteronomy 31, as the Israelites were preparing to go in and take over the Promised Land, Moses assured them that God would go with them. In verse 6, he said to them, “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
If you find yourself in the midst of a battle and up against a giant, don’t be afraid. God’s got this. Suit up for battle, arm yourself with the armor God provides in Ephesians 6:10-18 and get out on the front line. God stands before you. He will not leave you. Trust in Him today.
Have a great day!