In The Name Of The Lord

IN THE NAME OF THE LORD

a prayer to open

My Lord, my God, show me your heart. Ground me in your presence.

Draw me near and hold me close.

“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”

But David persisted. “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, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. . . . 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! The LORD who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the LORD be with you!”

Then Saul gave David his own armor. . . . David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.

“I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.

Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, sneering in contempt. . . . “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick? . . . Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” . . .

David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. . . . Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.

So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone. . . . Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines. . . . The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road. . . . Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp.

Most of us have heard this story many times: A young shepherd boy slays the giant Goliath with a mere slingshot! We’ve learned to cheer on the underdog and be courageous in the face of insurmountable obstacles. But a closer look at this passage gives us a glimpse of the heart God saw in David. David’s profound faith in God compelled him to take on Goliath when even Saul—the tall, handsome, and fully armored king—was paralyzed with fear. And God reveals his presence and power through his faithful servant David.

• What do you see in David that motivated him to defeat Goliath?
• What is one obstacle you’re currently facing? What role does your faith in God play as you consider overcoming or pushing through that obstacle?
• How do you typically respond to fear?

Father, grow my faith in you so I can act boldly and bravely. Help me remember your presence and provision in my life. Remind me, in the midst of fear, of your faithfulness and love. Give me eyes to see your hand at work in the world and the wisdom to rely on your strength instead of my own. And may my heart remain attached to you in victory and defeat. Amen.