It’s No Contest - David

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.”

1 Samuel 17:45

An old saying in the world of competitive sports goes like this: “The only thing better than a good little man is a good big man.” Indeed, all else being equal, the bigger, stronger man almost always wins out.

Fortunately, a young shepherd by the name of David didn’t concern himself with such sayings.

The Bible paints a terrifying picture of the giant Goliath. This remorseless killing machine was huge, strong, and highly skilled as a warrior. He also had quite a mean streak. No one in Saul’s army had the nerve to confront him.

When no one else would accept Goliath’s challenge, David stepped into the fray, almost certainly as a last resort. We can imagine Saul thinking, At least the kid’s pretty good with a slingshot. And didn’t he say he once killed both a lion and a bear? Still, to most observers, this spirited shepherd boy was a decided underdog.

David didn’t see himself that way at all. He spoke words of confidence as he confronted the vile Philistine warrior. David knew that God had sent him on this mission, and God never sends a man to fight without equipping and guiding him to accomplish his purposes.

Goliath had size, armor, weapons, and a hard heart on his side. David had nothing but a slingshot, a handful of stones, and his absolute faith in a God who delights in enabling his people to do the impossible.

It was a hopeless situation—for the giant. The moment David accepted God’s call to the fight, Goliath was as good as dead. Why? David explained it simply and accurately by saying, “This is the LORD’s battle!” (1 Samuel 17:47). For a man of faith, that kind of battle is always “no contest.”

What “giants” in your life—at home, at work, or in other areas—make you feel like the underdog? If you have chosen to follow Christ, you serve the very same God who made a small shepherd boy’s confrontation with a cruel, bloodthirsty giant not just a win, but an absolute rout.