There have been times that I have thought I was like David facing the giant Goliath.

When Dominic and I went through our period of unemployment and faced the reality of losing our home and our security, I believed that we were being confronted with a situation I was ill-equipped to handle.

And you know what? I was right in some ways.

We were ill-equipped to handle it all. Emotionally, spiritually, financially….we faced a giant of a problem and we needed help.

This week we are exploring what to do when we don’t feel worthy of following our dreams. Holley encouraged us to look at the story of David and Goliath.

I love when I have those times that I see a Bible story with fresh eyes…like God gives me some deeper insight into a story I have heard time and again, but never fully understood….tonight was one of those times.

If you want to follow along join me in 1 Samuel 17….I am not going to post the entire chapter here but want to share some of the points that stuck out to me this time.

Goliath is the “star” enemy in this story. He is huge and strong and all of Saul’s army is afraid of him and Goliath knows it. In fact he taunts them for 40 days straight!

“Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” 10 And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” 11 When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.” 

Enter David to the story. The youngest of 8 sons and not a soldier, but a shepherd. Talk about ill-equipped!  Jesse, David’s father, sends David to the battle lines to check on his brothers. When he arrives he witnesses Goliath’s rant.

Now if this were me….I am thinking I would have turned and run the other way.

In fact during that time of unemployment, I did run. I ran from God. I was angry and scared and full of unbelief.  I was sure that the “giant” was going to do us in and I wanted to be as far from the situation as possible.

But as you will see, David had a different response….

“But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 

David isn’t being pretentious here…he knows his strength. Just based on his size, he doesn’t stand a chance.

But David understands a truth that I was unable to see at my darkest hour….that God DID have the strength. “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 

David had faith that God would do again what He had done before. Deliver Him.

Does that give you chills like it does me?!

If I think back to some of the worst times in my life, there was always a deliverance and God was always at the center.  I maybe wasn’t a willing participant – but God WAS there.

David knew that God had been faithful to him in the past and he trusted God would do the same against this giant.

So armed with a staff, 5 smooth stones and his sling shot David “ran quickly toward the battle line.” Can you imagine running quickly towards a giant that no other man has been willing/able to face?!

“Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a 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. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.” 

For the battle is the Lord’s. It isn’t our battle…it is God’s!

“49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.”

And just like that the giant is defeated.

It was never David’s battle and he knew it! It was God’s and David trusted God to handle His battle. 

How many times do I find myself facing something that isn’t my battle to fight? But I am stubborn and have little faith and so I take matters into my own hands only to see it fail.

There is such a lesson to be learned here from David. It is a lesson of faith and not of fear!

Sure we need to take some steps in our own walks and being willing to “do” when God calls us. But we should start every step with a prayer of faith and trust in the God that can use a small shepherd to slay a mighty giant.

If you find yourself facing a giant today, get on your knees and start praying. Ask God to deliver you, to fight the battle that is His. Face the giants in the name of the Lord of hosts…your strength, your deliverer. In whom shall we fear?!

Linking up today with my God-sized dream sisters today….find more encouragement over here! Won’t you join us?

Photo Credit: Lauren J