“And David said, ‘What have I now done? Is there not a cause’?”
I Samuel 17:29
Holy boldness is rooted in Who God is and what He has done, while fleshly brashness is rooted in who we are and what we have done.
There he stood. All 9’9” in stocking feet of him. Bellowing like a mad bull in the pasture. Taunting the trembling Israelite army, crying “Come on out and fight like a man!”
But, they wouldn’t come out. They were too afraid (vv.17, 24).
Somewhere along the line these Israelites had forgotten the same God they served was the same God Who’d parted the Red Sea and done many other miracles among their ancestors. But, like their forefathers before them, who were afraid to enter the Promised Land because of the giants in the land (Num. 13:28, 33), so were these cowering soldiers of King Saul afraid.
That is, until God used a most unlikely shepherd-boy to solve a giant-sized problem.
David was the “runt of the litter”—the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse (16:10-13; 17:14). And, he certainly wasn’t trained in the art of warfare like Goliath (17:33). But, that didn’t matter to his one who’d learned to trust the God of Abraham early on. He knew it wasn’t the size of the problem that mattered; it was the size of your God and trust in Him.
He knew the same God Who enabled him to kill a marauding lion and bear with his bare hands was the same God Who’d empower him to take out that proud Philistine (17:34-37). And, even though his brother questioned his motives in being there (v.28) and Saul questioned his fighting ability, David knew “the battle was the Lord’s and would give them the victory” (v.47).
And, give them the victory He did!
When Saul gave David his own personal armor to wear, David knew it was too large and untested (vv.38-39). Instead, he grabbed five, small stones out of a nearby stream (v.40) and went out to meet the towering, mocking giant (vv.41-44). By all calculations, it was a mismatch: A well-trained, heavily-armored behemoth vs. a small, young lad with a slingshot.
But, never underestimate the power of God to do the impossible in a most unusual way!
Truly, David was a “co-laborer with God” (I Cor. 3:9), whose faith rested on Who God is and what He’d done, which is the essence of “pleasing” or “saving” faith (Heb. 11:6). That’s why he “ran toward the enemy” (v.48), instead of hiding from him like the soldiers. He knew there was a “cause” and also knew “the Lord of Hosts” would give him the victory (vv.45-47).
Without a doubt, when that stone left David’s slingshot, it became the first Divinely “guided missile” in the history of warfare. It was no accident that it struck the only vulnerable spot on Goliath’s armor-clad body (v.49). And, it was no accident that David was able to pick up Goliath’s own sword and cut off his head with it (v.50). God enabled him to do it! Hallelujah!!
What “giants” are you up against today, Pilgrim? What “insurmountable odds” are you facing that scream “No hope! No hope!”? Is your God the same One David served? If so, stand up and be counted! Stand firm on God’s Promises and take the battle to the enemy—for the same One Who called you is faithful and victory is assured.
May 22, 2011
