Fight your giants

Fight your giants 

David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”1 Samuel 17:32

When I think of warriors, my mind immediately pictures King David.  But before he became a mighty king, he was "merely tending sheep."  Are you "merely" doing something today?   This story goes to show how our lives can change in an instant when we submit our will to Him.  

Picture this:  The Philistine army was gathered for war against Israel.  A Philistine giant named Goliath, over nine feet tall and dressed in full armor (a very menacing and nasty fellow), came out each day for forty days mocking and challenging the Israelites to fight.  Saul, the king of Israel, and the whole army was terrified of Goliath.

  

David was "merely" sent to the battle lines by his father to check on his brothers.  It didn't take him long to see what was going on.   He was "merely" dressed in a tunic carrying his shepherd's staff and, of course, armed with a sling and a pouch full of stones. With no armor, training or real weapons,  David volunteered to fight Goliath.  Imagine that.  All these trained warriors surrounding him and the young untrained shepherd is the only one willing to fight.  And they had been cowering for 40 days!  

When King Saul finally agreed to let David fight, he ordered that he be dressed in the king's armor and helmet. " “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off.  Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:39-40

This is the best part of the story.  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...today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air...and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel...it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands."  1 Samuel 17:45-47

By faith, David chose to fight.  By faith, David declared that the battle was the Lord's.  And then, by faith, David reached into his bag and slung one of his stones at Goliath striking him between the eyes. That mighty GIANT fell face down to the ground... defeated by a boy with a GIANT faith in God.  And it didn't take him 40 days to do it!

There's two things here that I love about David's approach:  First, he chose to fight in what he was used to... trusting God to be his armor and shield.  And, secondly,  he never wavered!!!  Scripture says that Goliath hurled insults and threats making the army cower.   But David headed into battle without hesitation knowing that the battle was the Lord's.  

Are you facing a giant problem or situation today?  Do you trust God to be with you through it?   By faith, choose to fight.  By faith, declare the battle to be the Lord's and then, by faith, step out and declare victory over the giant you are facing.  You are not battling alone.  Like David, God will fight the battle with you.  

Heavenly Father, thank you for being with us to fight the battles of this life.  Help us to remember that, like David, you have given us everything we need to have victory through you.  Victory in Christ.  In your precious name we pray Jesus, Amen. 

Happy Running!! 

There's a war we're fighting on the front line for our King.  It's a battle for our souls against a heartless enemy.  Let us rise soldiers, united by the call.  We give nothing less than all.  We might stumble we might fall.  -Anthem Lights