The LORD, who delivered me

.... from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine (1 Samuel 17:37). David is about to go up against Goliath, the Philistine champion who was defying “the armies of the living God” (verse 26). Goliath was a formidable foe. Since the Hebrew measurement of a cubit is not exact, various translations put him between seven to ten feet tall, and with a spear whose head alone weighed about fifteen pounds. When King Saul agrees to let him fight Goliath, he gives David his armour. But David is unable to walk in it (verse 39), and instead goes up against him with his shepherd’s sling and five smooth stones. He prevails of course , with a shot to the head, he then uses Goliath's own sword to decapitate him (verses 50, 51).

Goliath had bragged that he would give David's flesh to the birds of the air and the beast of the field. David answered “You come to me with a sword, with a spear. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied” (verses 44, 45). He tells that he would do to Goliath what he had threatened to do to David, and that all the earth would then know that there's a God in Israel and “this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’S” (verses 46, 47). There are a couple things to draw out of this story. The fist, is that God prepares His people for battle. David had a history of the Lord delivering him, and this built faith and confidence that what He had done before, He would do again. I consider it likely that the lion and the bear were not David's first trials of faith. The Lord starts where we are, and when we act in courage and obedience, He builds our faith and confidence from there.

That task that which the Lord had prepare David, was related to his destiny. David was to be the warrior King of Israel, and in stepping into this next stage of his destiny, in addition to building faith, the Lord was also building a his reputation for courage and his suitability to lead Israel. It is interesting that David did not go in Saul's armour. Trying to go in someone else's armour is a mistake many make. God prepares us individually and gives us individually the gifts and talents we need to accomplish the tasks to which He calls us (1 Corinthians 12:11b). What is also interesting to me is that what David saw in Goliath was both a challenge and an opportunity, an opportunity to defend the honour and reputation of the Lord.

Father, I thank You this morning for the heroes of the faith, the cloud of witnesses, both Biblical and in this season, who You have raised up and are raising up to challenge us. So Lord help us to lay aside the weight and the sin that so easily trips us up. Help us to both discern the task and the destiny to which You call us, and to run with courage and perseverance the race that You set before us, looking of course, unto Jesus. And Lord whatever we do in word or in deed, let it all be done for Your Glory in Jesus Name Amen