Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:8, 11 Goliath stood & shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. “Why are you all coming out to fight?” he called. “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul……When Saul & the Israelites heard this, they were terrified & deeply shaken.
Observation: Goliath was pretty formidable, but it actually wasn’t only that that caused the Israelites to tremble in their boots. It was their own mindsets, their own belief in what Goliath said to them – that they were just the “servants of Saul”….in other words, pretty unimpressive! Even Saul himself apparently agreed with Goliath’s view – he certainly wasn’t rushing out to fight the giant! It took the shepherd boy David to rise to the challenge – not because he was particularly brave, but because he didn’t agree with Goliath’s view that the armies of Israel was just Saul’s servants….David realised that the picture was much bigger than the one Goliath painted. The armies of Israel were, in fact, the “armies of the living God” (verse 26). David called Goliath’s bluff. David knew the truth, & that truth was what he stood on as he faced the enemy. This was God’s battle, not Saul’s, not David’s. It took just one small person to see God’s big picture above the “natural’ picture before him for truth to prevail and the victory to follow. This battle was as much one of truth versus deception as it was giant versus shepherd boy.
Application: The enemy of my soul still operates the same way today. He can hinder me as much as I will allow him by my belief in the lies he tries to spin me….that I am pretty puny, that I am without influence or power to change situations, that I am not worth very much compared to whatever “giant” is before me, that I have no hope of victory. Is that what the Lord says about me? Of course not!! Truth be told, Christ lives in me!! That gives me a strength far beyond my human puniness. I have instant access through prayer to the very throne room of Creator God – what greater “influence” or “power” could I possibly ask for? The Lord tells me I was worth Him dying on a cross to buy me back to Himself. As for victory….I am MORE than a conqueror through Christ who loved me & gave Himself up for me!!! Like David, I can stand in God’s truth any time, any place, against any “giant”, knowing that, as I stand on the truth, the lies shrink from giants to midgets.
Prayer: Thankyou, dear Lord, for the weapon of Your truth which is so mighty against the lies of the enemy designed to make giants out of my difficulties. Father, help me to promptly recognise this ploy of the enemy & run to defeat the giants as David did Goliath, rather than trembling in my boots as I listen to the enemy’s taunts.
In Jesus’ name, Amen
Sue Otto
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