1 Sam 17

Carl Belcher

You may remember my last Life File centred on 'Dealing With Your Ceiling'. We looked at Goliath's strategy to repeatedly intimidate God's people through his reputation, size and verbal taunts. Well, now it's time to look at David's strategy to overcome all of that and get a victory.

I don't know how you feel when you read about David's encounter with Goliath, but I must confess that I sometimes think "Hey that's alright for you David, but I'm no biblical giant slayer! I'm well under qualified for that sort of task!"

The good news is...so was David! In fact he was unqualified on 3 accounts:

• Age - He was the youngest
  Ever listen to an inspirational preacher or hear stories of people with amazing ministries and think "that's way out of my league, maybe one day when I'm much older and wiser, been to Bible College and got the experience"? Well Verse 14 says that "David was the youngest" and later on in verse 33 Saul reminds David that "you are but a youth". If ever there was someone who had the opportunity to use his age as an excuse it was David. But David knew that he wasn't going to be reliant on his age, but on God's ability to use anyone, young or old.
• Position - He looked after the sheep
  While David's brothers were soldiers on the front line of God's army (v13), he was given the less macho task of looking after the family flock of sheep (v15). To make matters worse, the nearest he was allowed to come to the actual battle was to simply deliver food to his brothers. David didn't let his not so grand position of 'sheep herding pizza delivery boy' effect his self esteem or belief that God could use him. In fact it's sometimes an over inflated ego that stops God from being able to demonstrate his power through us. Are we trusting in our own reputation or God's?
• Acceptance - He was rejected by his brothers
  Who doesn't like to be liked? Even the most confident individuals with high self esteem thrive when in an environment of affirmation and acceptance. David's brothers were angry when he questioned why no one was tackling Goliath (v28), but David wasn't going to wait for everyone's seal of approval before he exercised faith in his God and defended His honour. Are you stuck waiting to be accepted by others before you obey God and do what He's asking of you?

The good news is that although these 3 reasons might have made him unqualified in people's eyes, he was more than qualified before God:

• He wouldn't let fear direct his actions
  God hasn't given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7) When I heard this verse, I always used to think that I must be sinning when I felt afraid! The truth is that we all experience fear to some degree for a variety of reasons. Some people fear rejection, others fear illness some even fear having peanut butter stuck to the roof of their mouths! That fear even has a name, it's called Arachibutyrophobia! Fear itself is not sinful, it's only when we let it influence the decisions we make and actions we take. I'm pretty certain that David was fully aware of what Goliath was capable of, but made the decision to trust in God to save (v32).
• He had experienced victory in the smaller things
  David had already killed lions and bears while defending his sheep and saw Goliath as yet another predator that God would enable him to take down (v36). I've got a funny feeling that David probably wasn't some huge wrestling champion and that's why he managed to kill the lions & bears, but that God stepped in during those attacks and enabled David to be victorious. David knew that if God is able to give him the supernatural strength and power to defeat giant beasts, then he is also able to give what is needed to defeat giant humans. God is always willing to use past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities. So before you decide to take on the Dark Prince of Persia or some other evil principality or power, maybe you might want to tackle the smaller but closer-to-home giant of bad temper or unforgiveness?
• He refused to wear another man's armour
  I don't think that David was simply being a proud man refusing to wear 'hand-me-downs', it's just that he couldn't even move in the armour Saul gave him! (v38). I sometimes meet people involved in ministry and immediately think "I wonder if you've been discipled by so-and-so, or go to so-and-so church" It might be their style of preaching that gives it away, or the way they pray or operate spiritual gifts. There's nothing wrong with this, in fact Paul said "Be imitators of me, even as I also am of Christ." (1Cor 11) but if we think that God will use us the same way as someone else if we copy their style or methods, then we are not putting our trust in God but in someone else's 'amour'. God made you with your own unique abilities, preferences and personality for a reason. Be who you are and you will see God for who He is.
• He trusted in the name of the Lord
  A bit obvious this one, but David really did trust in the name of the Lord. Not just like some weird 'Abracadabra', as if by saying "the name of the Lord" unlocks a hidden channel into God's power, but because he knew God, His ways, His character and His love. I love my wife Sarah to pieces. I quite like the name Sarah (it means princess apparently!) but it's not her name I love, it's the woman behind the name! Its taken time to get to know her as deeply as I now do. I trust her and know that I can count on her. If you want to be able to trust in the name of the Lord, spend time knowing Him more deeply through prayer, worship, reading the Bible and putting your trust in Him into action.
• He knew where the battle belonged
  David lets Goliath know exactly what he was going to do to him, but my favourite bit of his pre-victory speech is when he says "for the battle is God's, and he will give you into our hand." (v47) When God asks you to do something he doesn't just fold His arms and watch at a distance, He rolls up His sleeves and fights alongside you. You're not there to fight on God's behalf; you're simply there to position yourself in the battle so that He can give the enemy into your hands. When you know who the battle really belongs to, you stop trusting in your own ability to win and shove your full reliance on God. There is no safer place to be than in the dead centre of God's will for your life.

If you are facing challenging circumstances, then you might want to pray the following prayer:

"Lord Jesus I want to know you more deeply, trust you more fully and face the personal challenges in my life head on. Please help me to see myself through your eyes and know when the battle belongs to you, Amen"