Tall—on The Inside

Tall—On the Inside

Bible Blast: Read 1 Samuel 17:32-37

Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God. Psalm 20:7

The story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 is so cool. Goliath was a big, strong giant and a trained warrior, so when he challenged the Israelites to fight, it’s no wonder they were scared to death.

Every day Goliath made fun of the Israelites and challenged them, and every day nobody took him up on the challenge. Even King Saul’s mightiest warriors were afraid to battle the giant.

You probably know the story. A shepherd boy said he would defeat Goliath, and that’s exactly what he did—with a sling and a stone and his greatest weapon: his faith in God. David quickly became famous for his victory over Goliath, which eventually led to King Saul’s intense jealousy of him.

Sometimes I imagine the Israelite soldiers looking around to see which of them was the tallest, the most likely Israelite to be able to fight the giant. And guess who that would probably have been: King Saul.

In 1 Samuel 10:23 the Bible describes how Saul “stood head and shoulders above anyone else.” So Saul, their king, was the tallest guy around. When the Israelites’ tall, strong king wouldn’t go out to fight Goliath, no wonder his shorter, less powerful soldiers didn’t think they could defeat him.

Even though Saul may have been physically tall enough to fight Goliath, he was short in humility and trust. While he was king, he failed to listen to God and obey him. He wanted to do things his own way and missed out on God’s great love because of it. In 1 Samuel 15:11, God even said, “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.”

God was David’s strength. King Saul was King Saul’s strength. That’s why David was able to defeat the giant and King Saul wasn’t.

As it turns out, because of his trust in God’s power and love, a young shepherd boy was “taller” than the king.

Girl Gab: Daughter, who’s taller, you or your mom? How much taller? Do you think you will be taller someday, if you aren’t already? Just for fun, have a thumb-wrestling match, and see who wins! Today commit your thoughts to God’s strong love for both of you.