Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! . . . Goliath stood and shouted across to the Israelites, 'I defy the armies of Israel! Send me a man who will fight with me!' (1 Samuel 17:4, 8, 10 NLT)
Israel had lost all hope. Their arch nemesis, the Philistines, had brought out their big gun. His name was Goliath, and he was over nine feet tall! His immense height was matched only by his super-human strength. He walked around in a coat of armor that weighed 125 pounds, and he was proficient at throwing a spear weighing 15 pounds. To top it off, he had a bad attitude, and day after day, he taunted and hurled insults at the Israelites, baiting them to fight him to the death. This went on for 40 days.
Then one day David came into the camp with a care package for his enlisted brothers. In the course of his visit, he heard Goliath's mocking and asked:
'Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?' (1 Samuel 17:26 NLT)
Before we get to the showdown in this scene, we need see the significance of what David is saying here. Every Israeli soldier saw this as a battle between Goliath and Israel, but David understood that it was really a fight between Goliath and God. That's because long ago the Lord had promised Abraham that He would be against anyone who cursed or came against his descendants (Genesis 12:3).
David was aware of this promise, so he had great confidence that Goliath wouldn't and couldn't prevail. It didn't matter how tall, strong, or mean Goliath was. All that mattered in David's heart was what God had promised in His Word.
Perhaps there's a 'Goliath' taunting you who has you fixed in fear at this very moment. Don't allow that to be your focus, but rather, make God's Word your rule of life. When you do, the promises there will remind you that God is on your side, which means you're invincible to any enemy's attack.
If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31 NKJV)
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