November 12 | By Faith David Killed Goliath
1 Samuel 17:32, “David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
The story of David and Goliath is probably the most well known inspirational story of the Old Testament. It is found in 1 Samuel 17 and has been used to represent overcoming challenges in life. From spiritual attacks to financial hardships to overcoming sin to underdogs facing impossible odds- just the mention of this story brings people hope to believe in God no matter what they’re facing in life.
Often times what gets lost in all the comparisons and present-day applications is the simple fact that a young boy trusted God in a way that thousands of people around him did not. A shepherd boy did what trained warriors couldn’t, because he believed that God was bigger than even the biggest enemy. David believed that God would give him victory over a giant just like He had empowered him to slay bears and lions as a shepherd.
It’s not the size of our enemy that matters, but rather the size of our God.
Some may ask, “What made David’s faith different than everyone else’s fear- weren’t there other people in Israel’s army that believed God was able to help?” Or, “What about King Saul, he had seen God do amazing things in the past and knew the miraculous victories of Gideon, Deborah, Samson and the other mighty warriors of the Bible- why couldn’t he face Goliath with courage?”
I believe the answer is simple and is the real lesson of encouragement from David’s life- David chose to believe God was greater than Goliath. All the other soldiers, including King Saul, could recite the stories of the past and say they believed in God; yet they stood on the sideline and did nothing because when it mattered most they lacked faith. David, on the other hand, was compelled by faith to stand for God and face the enemy no matter what the consequences would be. He was either going to die a fool for God or win the greatest battle known to Israel at that time. Either way, He couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. His faith in God motivated him to confront and defeat the enemy.
Does your faith in God empower you to face the giants in your life or are you going to just stand there and do nothing? I challenge you to re-read the story of David’s faith and go conquer the problems in your life; no excuses. As Nike said, “Just do it!”
Reflection
Do you have faith in God to overcome all the challenges you are facing in life?
Action
- Ask God to forgive you if you have been standing on the sidelines of life because you’re afraid to face your problems. Face your problems afraid if you have to, but whatever you do, don’t let fear stop you!
- Prayerfully ask God to give you boldness and courage to face your giants.
- By faith, conquer all the giants in your life with God on your side!
One Year Reading Plan
Ezekiel 24:1-26:21, Hebrews 11:1-16, Psalm 110:1-7, & Proverbs 27:14. Click here to read online.