David replied to the Philistine, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven's Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Samuel 17:45
Can you imagine David's boldness as he faced the giant, Goliath, who was threatening his people, the Israelites? The entire Israelite army was terrified and hiding from Goliath and the rest of the Philistines, yet David fearlessly prepared to face his enemy head-on. How could he do this? David knew a secret the Philistines did not know. God fights for His people. He always has, and He always will.
The end of 1 Samuel 17 teaches us that God fights for His people, and because of this, we can choose optimism over pessimism and positivity over negativity. In verse 41, David battles the giant Goliath, a soldier in the Philistine army, with his sling and five stones. This seemed like a hopeless situation for David, a shepherd boy facing a military giant to anyone watching. To David, however, this was a chance to watch God fight for Israel. Goliath hurled insults and taunts at David, to which he responded, "You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heavens Armies—the God of Israel, whom you have defied" (verse 45). He ended his speech to Goliath, saying, "This is the Lord's battle, and He will give you to us!" (verse 47). After his speech, David took his sling and hurled a stone at Goliath's forehead, killing the giant and defeating the Philistines.
David's positivity was correct; God fought for Israel. He fights for you, as well. Part of maintaining a positive attitude is remembering this truth. God fights for His people. With this confidence, even when it seems like every situation around us is helpless and a lost cause, we can be optimistic. We can choose positivity. After all, God is fighting with us, and He fights for His people.
Spend time reflecting on 1 Samuel 17:45. Begin memorizing it and commit to learning it all week. As giants arise in your life, let this verse come to mind. Let God fight for and with you with every single giant you face. Remember, the giants that you face may seem enormous, but you come to them in the name of God.
Read 1 Samuel 17:41-51 (NLT)
Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.
David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.
So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran.
©2024 Sagebrush Church
