As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 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. 50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head. (1 Samuel 17:48-51)
David was an expert marksman with a sling, and as he advanced on Goliath, he stayed out of range of Goliath’s huge weapons. However, what made David effective, was more than his ability with a sling or his elusiveness; it was his courage and faith in God.
Through his trust in the Lord, David was able to move confidently against the predators and adversities in his life. We too must trust in God, and use the skills He has given us to move forward in victory and overcome this world.
In 1 Samuel, we learn that King Saul had first enlisted David as a musician to play the harp for him in an attempt to calm his tormented spirit. And David’s early musical career was marked by travels back and forth from his gigs, soothing Saul’s spirit, to his full-time job as a shepherd of his father’s flock.
It’s during this time in David’s life that Saul chooses to let David take on Goliath. Now, I wasn’t born yesterday, so to me this doesn’t make any logical sense at all. If David loses, all of Israel will become slaves to the Philistines.
The Bible lists Goliath’s coat of armor as weighing 125 pounds, and when you throw in his 15-pound iron spearhead, you get a buck-forty. From the early descriptions of the young shepherd boy, David…one can assume he probably didn’t weigh much more than Goliath’s armor.
As the prophet Samuel would attest, Saul was often not in a “right mindset.” But come on now, let your weekend 140-pound harp player go up against nine feet of murderous mayhem carrying a sword as large as a weaver’s beam… Oh yeah, what could possibly go wrong? What did Saul see…?
What do people see when they look at you? Who do they see? A teacher, a father, a carpenter, a wife, a musician, a shepherd? Who do they see?… A warrior?… God?
David told King Saul, “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (1 Samuel 34-37)
Did Saul see the warrior inside of David that all those around couldn’t see? Did David’s words convince him that he was the savior Israel needed for the job? I doubt it… the self-proclaimed words of a young shepherd about protecting his father’s flock, aren’t much evidence of his ability to conquer the Philistines, and to deliver Israel from an imminent bondage in slavery. No, I think he saw a lot more than a warrior. I think when King Saul looked at David, he saw God.
Before Goliath ever came into the picture, Saul had turned out to be a king exactly like Samuel had warned Israel that most kings would be: a royal knucklehead. So, God asked Samuel to go anoint the new king:
And the Lord said, “This is the one; anoint him.”¹³ So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David from that day on. (1 Samuel 16:12-13)
Samuel saw what God saw in David. And later, facing overwhelming odds, Saul did too! How else can you explain letting your 140-pound harp player, go up against a nine-foot killing machine?
During the short time that I was an assistant football coach at Greater Atlanta Christian School, I was blessed and honored with the opportunity to be the defensive coordinator for the junior varsity team during their Saturday afternoon games.
One Saturday we were up by three touchdowns at the half. So, in the start of the third quarter, I sent in the second and third-string players along with some others, who, from their physical presence, one would assume, weren’t qualified to receive a jockstrap, let alone space on the sideline in a Double-A football stadium.
In the state of Georgia there are no height or weight requirements in high school football.And although I think some of these kids wouldn’t even qualify to ride Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disney World. But they qualify in Georgia, to play ball with a passing grade, a little heart, and courage. And in some cases, just a mother who wanted them out of the house so she could take a nap.
My astute coaching strategy was quickly welcomed by the opposing coach. The tides turned, and soon our three-score lead was down to one. I heard the murmur from the stands, “Put the starters back in, coach; if we don’t, we’re going to lose this game.” Nevertheless, everybody on the team got to play in the game, and the little guys got to stay in the game until the last tick on the clock.
Is this a big deal? I think so; some kids other than in practice had never played on a high school field before and maybe never will again. For them, running on the field and playing ball was victory in itself.
We held on that day, and although I can’t come close to remembering the score on the board, I’ll always remember the joy on their faces. Not just the kids, but their parents as well thanked me for putting their kids on the field. It scared the pants off some of them to see their babies take the hits on the field, but they beamed with pride and happiness for their boys, and witnessed such joy in their faces as they swaggered confidently off the field. Every man on the team played on the field that day, and every man stepped off a victor, knowing that he had contributed to the team.
I remember that day well; it may be the first memory I have of feeling that somebody who had never met me, saw me as a man of God. It wasn’t my coaching ability or the time I dedicated to their kids that shone through; it was my strength in God and how I trusted and honored God with my love for their kids. In me they could see how important the development of these young men was to God.
Do you have what it takes to be fearless like David? You bet you do! God has written the plan for you:
“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. 9 This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:6-9)
The Bible says, “The godly are as bold as lions.” (Proverbs 28:1) When King Saul looked at David, he didn’t see a lion-slaying shepherd; he saw a lion of God.
When you follow the instructions God gave to Joshua…when you obey the instructions of the Bible and continually meditate on it day and night, people can’t help but see God in you, just as Saul saw God in David that day.
“I tell you the Truth”
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