“From the Heart” teaching by Drs. Rodney & Adonica Howard-Browne.
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. 8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. 10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. 11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid. 1 Samuel 17:3-11 KJV
Do not put your confidence in man:
The Israelites begged God for a king, so He gave them one they were happy with, who stood head and shoulders above them. However, when an enemy larger than all of them appeared, they were all terrified, because their confidence was in the arm of the flesh. In the natural, the enemy was too big for them, and their king. They had put their trust in man and not in God. They were paralyzed by fear – their enemy had the upper hand without a fight – through threats and through their own fear.
And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. 26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? 27 And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. 28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. 29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause? 1 Samuel 17:22-29 KJV
Is there not a cause?
David did not consider the size of his enemy – he considered the power of his God. Even his own brother thought he was being presumptuous. Every one believed in God, but still they could not see what David saw. Many people have a head-knowledge of God, but have no real faith in His power to save and deliver. Fear cannot receive or agree with faith talk. Fear tries to extinguish the fires of faith. David had total faith and confidence in God and not in the arm of the flesh. If there is a cause that is God’s cause, then through faith and obedience, we will prevail when we take up the challenge.
And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee. 1 Samuel 17:32-37 KJV
Learn to trust God in the small things and it will be easier to trust Him in the big things:
David wasn’t just spouting off nonsense. He had actual experience of God’s help and strength in the face of much larger, more dangerous opponents. By God’s power, David killed a lion and a bear, why would a giant be harder to kill – especially since it was a just cause? Goliath defied God, when he defied the armies of the living God. God will not be mocked and His enemies will fall before Him – He is looking for the David’s who will not be afraid, and who will go at His command and take out the lions and the bears and the giants! Will you be one of them?