God-centered Victory - The One Year Worship the King Devotional
God-Centered Victory
Read: 1 Samuel 17:26-47
All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves.
1 Samuel 17:47
IN WORD It was an appalling situation. A nine-foot giant would stand out in the open every day and taunt the armies of Israel. The people chosen by the almighty God were in the land promised by the almighty God, fighting a battle ordained by the almighty God, and they were intimidated. By an offensive loudmouth—albeit a very big one. But their God was bigger. They should have known that.
David did. He didn’t come upon the situation and challenge his elders’ courage or their battle skills. He didn’t offer a better strategy or suggest an opportune moment to strike. No, he was simply outraged by the absurdity of the scene. The soldiers of the living God cowering in fear? While the name of the merciful, mighty God of the universe was slandered? Why?
David didn’t go to the front lines to make a name for himself. He went to serve his brothers lunch. But while he was there, he could not tolerate the situation. God’s reputation was at stake. The army’s fear did not honor Him; the enemy-occupied Promised Land did not honor Him; and the gorilla of Gath did not honor Him. Something had to be done.
IN DEED Do you take that attitude into your world every day? No, you need not carry a slingshot and stones. And you need not be offensive about it. But your God—the merciful, mighty God of the universe who has chosen us and equipped us for every good work, even guaranteeing us ultimate victory—is being slandered by an unseen enemy. That enemy’s propaganda has been swallowed by a gullible, hard-hearted world. And we’re the only army God has redeemed for service.
Goliath is an appropriate image for Satan—big, noisy, intimidating . . . and doomed. David is first an image of Christ, but also an appropriate image for the Christian—concerned mainly with serving bread and defending the name of his God. Can you follow his footsteps of faith into battle? Will you?
We’re in spiritual combat—cosmic combat for the heart and soul of humankind.
—CHARLES COLSON
