All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:47
Currently, in the Poe house, my kids have become enthralled with the video game "Fortnite." From the moment they wake up in the morning and throughout the day, they ask to play. They would easily spend over 12 hours a day playing in the "Battle Royale" if we didn't set limits. The game is one where you have to find different weapons to eliminate your opponents. If you have the right weapons and excellent hand and eye coordination, your chances of success are far greater. If you are running around with no weapon, you are easy prey for someone else. They will take you out. Fast. My kids are learning these tactics for battle each time they play.
It is interesting, after spending time finding the best weapons, to think about David and Goliath. David was outmatched by the strength of Goliath. David's weaponry was also insufficient as he was carrying a sling and five small stones. He even gave up the king's own armor because it didn't fit right. In every way, this battle looks like it is an easy win for Goliath. But David isn't standing alone when he goes into battle; he goes into the fight with the very presence of God. David knows that God will be victorious, so he stands boldly before the giant and declares the truth that God will bring deliverance. Outmatched and eclipsed by Goliath's size, God took a shepherd boy and used him to save the Jewish people. This verse of Scripture is a reminder that the battle belongs to the Lord.
When we believe that God has control of the battles we face, it changes our outlook. Instead of cowering in fear, we rise up in faith. We stop trembling in the presence of our enemies, and we march triumphantly into combat. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to pray for a family in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Their grandmother went through a surgery that seemed routine. But when they started, her heart stopped beating. They called me in because the situation seemed bleak and they weren't sure if she was going to come out of the situation. We turned to God together and prayed. We went to battle for their grandmother and the day after I got a text that God intervened. She woke up the next day and had victory in the battle! Today, trust that the battle belongs to the Lord.
Prayer is such an important part of going into battle. When we put our faith and trust in God, it helps us to depend upon Him. Take some time to commit your battle to the Lord in prayer. Give the whole battle to God, trusting in His strength. Make the declaration in your prayer that it is His battle, and wait for Him to move. Pray that God will build up confidence within you like David, who stood strong, even in the presence of a giant.
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.
