The story of David and Goliath in I Samuel 17 is pretty familiar to us, but it is one with many applications to our lives. When God interacts with man in the Old Testament, we should see ourselves in those interactions. Those lessons are our lessons. The failings of those people are often our failings, and those achievements and victories can be our achievements and victories. In this light, what can we draw from this familiar story that we can apply to our Christian walks today?
We know David as the youngest in his family, not yet old enough to serve in the military and charged with watching the flocks while his brothers are at war. When he arrives on the scene of Goliath challenging Israel’s army, he saw what had to be done, and he saw how it could be accomplished. In I Samuel 17:18-27, David learns of Goliath’s threat as well as the king’s reward for defeating the giant. When he approaches Saul in verse 32, he volunteers to go fight Goliath, but King Saul quickly dismisses the idea.
In verses 34-37, David expresses his faith in God’s deliverance, and we see ultimate trust in God, when his faith is put to the test, in verses 45-46. In verse 48, David does something remarkable. He begins running toward this seemingly invincible enemy where the others had run away. In verse 50, David prevails against impossible odds.
Giants We Face
We face obstacles that frighten us, that make us want to cower, things that we do not want to face. Think of the giant of worldliness in our lives, things that don’t necessarily have to be immoral but still inexorably draw us away from our God – a desire to fit in, success in our jobs, popularity among our peers. Taking a stand against these is intensely difficult, every bit as difficult as resisting those more immoral acts we often equate with worldliness. Despite the difficulties, however, we have to stand up to this giant.
Discouragement can also be a debilitating giant. We see a discouraged Paul in Acts 18 who is lifted up and encouraged by Timothy’s arrival later in the chapter. I Thessalonians 5:14, then, calls on those Christians and us to support one another in times of emotional need. Paul knew how the encouragement of another could help him slay that giant.
A final giant we face in our lives is that of indirection. We lack goals; we lack a clear path forward. We therefore become content to stagnate in our spiritual growth. King Saul and his army had grown comfortable in their roles as quailing victims before the threat of Goliath. David, however, was different. He set a goal to defeat the giant and reap the rewards. We must be likewise determined in our pursuit of the reward God promises us if we endure.
Conclusion
I John 5:4 tells us that faith helps us be victorious over the things of this world. I John 4:4 calls God greater than anything in this world. We have to have faith and trust in Him to help us drive toward the goal before us. In Philippians 2:5 calls on us to have the mindset of Christ, and Philippians 4:13 claims anything is possible in Christ, but we have to be willing to take action. James 2 encourages us to put our faith and trust in action. We know what must be done in our service to Christ, and we know we can accomplish it in Him. The God we serve deserves the very best, and, if we give Him that, we honor our Lord and defeat the giant of sin.
lesson by Tim Smelser
We know David as the youngest in his family, not yet old enough to serve in the military and charged with watching the flocks while his brothers are at war. When he arrives on the scene of Goliath challenging Israel’s army, he saw what had to be done, and he saw how it could be accomplished. In I Samuel 17:18-27, David learns of Goliath’s threat as well as the king’s reward for defeating the giant. When he approaches Saul in verse 32, he volunteers to go fight Goliath, but King Saul quickly dismisses the idea.
In verses 34-37, David expresses his faith in God’s deliverance, and we see ultimate trust in God, when his faith is put to the test, in verses 45-46. In verse 48, David does something remarkable. He begins running toward this seemingly invincible enemy where the others had run away. In verse 50, David prevails against impossible odds.
Giants We Face
We face obstacles that frighten us, that make us want to cower, things that we do not want to face. Think of the giant of worldliness in our lives, things that don’t necessarily have to be immoral but still inexorably draw us away from our God – a desire to fit in, success in our jobs, popularity among our peers. Taking a stand against these is intensely difficult, every bit as difficult as resisting those more immoral acts we often equate with worldliness. Despite the difficulties, however, we have to stand up to this giant.
Discouragement can also be a debilitating giant. We see a discouraged Paul in Acts 18 who is lifted up and encouraged by Timothy’s arrival later in the chapter. I Thessalonians 5:14, then, calls on those Christians and us to support one another in times of emotional need. Paul knew how the encouragement of another could help him slay that giant.
A final giant we face in our lives is that of indirection. We lack goals; we lack a clear path forward. We therefore become content to stagnate in our spiritual growth. King Saul and his army had grown comfortable in their roles as quailing victims before the threat of Goliath. David, however, was different. He set a goal to defeat the giant and reap the rewards. We must be likewise determined in our pursuit of the reward God promises us if we endure.
Conclusion
I John 5:4 tells us that faith helps us be victorious over the things of this world. I John 4:4 calls God greater than anything in this world. We have to have faith and trust in Him to help us drive toward the goal before us. In Philippians 2:5 calls on us to have the mindset of Christ, and Philippians 4:13 claims anything is possible in Christ, but we have to be willing to take action. James 2 encourages us to put our faith and trust in action. We know what must be done in our service to Christ, and we know we can accomplish it in Him. The God we serve deserves the very best, and, if we give Him that, we honor our Lord and defeat the giant of sin.
lesson by Tim Smelser
