Our Sunday School class decided we would watch the first season of the House of David series and discuss it after each episode aired. The show is loosely based on the biblical story of David and Goliath, with a lot of extras thrown in. The last episode of the season culminated in the famous battle between God’s chosen and the giant. I watched the story play out on TV, and it offered me some new insights I had not thought about before, so let’s dig a little.
Most of us know the story of David and Goliath since our childhood (1 Samuel 17:1-58). But sometimes knowing a story so well causes us to miss the depth of the message in the story. Deep down, we find a story about a man who believes in the greatness and faithfulness of our God. So what can we learn from it?
How Big Is Our God?
One striking moment in the episode comes when David arrives at the battlefield and sees the giant for the first time. Instead of cowering in fear like the Israeli army, David criticizes them for forgetting God’s greatness. While everyone is concentrating on the size of Goliath, David talks about the living God (1 Samuel 17:26). The soldiers measured the giant against themselves, while David measured Goliath against God.
What happens to us when we spend more time looking at the size of our problems than remembering the power and character of our God?
Sometimes our giants come from health concerns, family problems, financial issues, grief, fear, or something else. Faith doesn’t require us to ignore the size of our problem. It reminds us that our problem is never bigger than our God.
Yesterday’s Battles Build Faith to Fight Giants
David had a history with God that taught him about God’s faithfulness to fight our giants. Before David fought this public battle in front of the army, he faced many private battles that God used to prepare him for this moment. God gave David victory in a battle with a lion and a bear, so David knew God’s faithfulness from his past.
When we are facing something frightening today, we can look back and remember how God brought us through other challenging situations. These moments help strengthen our faith for any future troubles that come our way. Sometimes today’s courage grows out of yesterday’s remembrances.
Preparing to Fight the Giants
David declares that the battle belongs to the Lord (I Samuel 17:47). If David believed that the battle was the Lord’s, then why did he pick up the stones? David trusted God to win the battle, and he prepared to do his part in it.
We can prepare ourselves for the battle. We cover the situation in prayer as we trust God with the outcome. Some ideas for our part in the battle might include going to the doctor for help or seeking treatment, or support for an addiction. David didn’t bring a sword, but he didn’t walk onto the battlefield empty-handed either. Prayer can help us determine our next steps and what part God wants us to play.
Facing Your Giants
All week long, Israel woke up and looked across the valley at Goliath. And every day, the giant seemed to get bigger. David walked into the same valley and saw the same giant, but David remembered something everyone else forgot. God was there in the valley too.
Faith doesn’t guarantee that every battle will end the way we want. Our confidence rests in knowing that God is with us in the struggle. Whatever happens, God remains God. Our faith comes from the confidence we place in God because we know He is with us in the struggle. Whatever happens, God remains God. He is with us, and we can trust him.
This week, spend less time measuring the size of your giant and more time remembering the greatness of your God.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us that no problem we face is greater than you. Remind us of the times you have shown your faithfulness in the past and that you are the same God who walks with us today. Give us the strength and courage to trust you when the way ahead looks impossible. When the giants in our lives appear overwhelming, turn our eyes away from their size and back towards your greatness. May we always remember that you are faithful and bigger than anything we will face this week.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.
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Grace and Peace to you,
Yvonne M. Morgan is a Christian #author, #blogger, and #speaker. #BibleGatewayPartner
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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Sometimes we do need to be reminded to look at the greatness of God instead of the problem. Thanks for revisiting this narrative and highlighting God’s covenant.
Thanks Barbara. We allow the world to tell us to focus on our problems instead of our God. Blessings