But David said to the Philistine, You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied….that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not save by sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s and [H]e will give you into our hand….So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, striking down the Philistine and killing him; there was no sword in David’s hand.” 1 Samuel 17: 45, 47, 50, NRSV. (Emphasis provided.)
Gracious God, it is in the name of Jesus that we come to You, seeking Your guidance in the study of Your word. Amen
What battle(s) are you fighting in your life as you read this devotional? What constitutes your Goliath(s)? What message is your Goliath repeating to you day after day? Is this message making you doubt the power of almighty God? Or, is it making you more determined to prove that God is able, and that He is greater than any giant that have come, or may come, your way? Whatever your answer may be to these questions, let us prayerfully, consider David’s situation, and by God’s grace, gather strength to press forward in the “name of the LORD of hosts.”
It was a time of war between Israel and the Philistines. It was because of Israel’s departing from the paths of the LORD that they were constantly being harassed by their enemies (1 Samuel 12: 9). Nevertheless, the mercies of God was always there to rescue them when they cried unto Him (10, 11). David sees this “uncircumcised Philistine” (17: 26) defying the army of the God of Israel, and it is more than He can bear! One of the secrets of David’s success in defeating the Philistine, I believe, was his motive. When we are working in the name of the LORD of hosts:
Motives are important (1 Corinthians 10: 31; 13: 1-3). Whatever we do, should be done with the main purpose of bringing glory to God! When David asked the question, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel?” I do not believe that he was asking about a reward. He had already been told what the king had promised to do for the man who fought and gained the victory over Goliath (25, 27). I believe that David’s main concern, what motivated him; was vindicating the “living God” (26).
Methods are important (1 Samuel 17: 38-40). My professor of Bible, and the spiritual mentor that I have adopted, Dr. John Jones, used a phrase this quarter, that caught my attention, “Fight in your own armor,” referring precisely to the story of David and Goliath. I believe that many of the battles we lose are lost because we fight in someone else’s armor. Their armor might be too big or too small, for us; and could keep us back, or worse, make us lose the battle! We need to come to the place where we say like David, “I cannot walk with these; for I am not used to them” (39). Then, like David, we need to remove them (39)!
Momentum is important (1 Samuel 17: 48, 49). Motives give value to our efforts; Method is indispensable for success; but if they are not applied at the right time, the results could be less than desirable; they could even spell defeat. I am convinced that David kept his eye on Goliath, just waiting for the precise time, the perfect moment, and then “zing” the giant lay dead at his feet. He was right on target, and on time!
It may be that your Goliath is bigger than you. But he is not bigger than your God! Hallelujah! So whenever your giant looms before you, remember that you stand before it, in the name of the LORD of hosts! That makes you invincible!