Most people know the story of David and Goliath. We know of the young boy David who eventually became a king, slaying a giant and rescuing the people of Israel. 1 Samuel 17 describes David as a sheepherder and the youngest of eight sons. When David stepped up to face Goliath the giant, he did so out of great faith. No armor, and only a slingshot and some stones in hand.
I remember hearing this story many times as a child and even as an adult teaching Sunday school, and reading to my children. What might be overlooked is that while the people of Israel (as well as Goliath) were surprised by David’s confidence and ultimately the result, David wasn’t surprised. David spent his youth literally wrestling, striking, and killing bears and lions, rescuing sheep from the mouths of these beasts. David knew the same hand of God which rescued him from lions and bears would also give victory over the giant Philistine.
34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. 37 The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:34-37a)
And your giant?
Let’s not think of this story as some fantasy nor “well that was someone else, David became a great king”. God was with David and he’s with you and me. He’s rescued us more times than we can count, so as you face your giant today just let go of the worry and put all your faith, hope, and trust in the one who rescued you before and will do it again. This power that rescues us is the same power that brought Jesus back from the dead, out of the grave. The same power that brings us to new life, once dead in our sins, and now alive through the promise of Jesus Christ.
Go face your giants today. While they may be huge, they are nothing compared to the strength and power of our God. After David gave his speech to King Saul, the king responded, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” Therefore, let this be the message to all of us today and every day: Go, and the Lord be with you.
Today’s reading: 1 Samuel 17, 1 Chronicles 2, Acts 12