I was reading in I Samuel this morning the account of David and Goliath. Most of us can recount that story and we have told it to our children with flourish and excitement. It is iconic in our society – David vs. Goliath. As I was reading this morning, I was asking God, ‘why were the children of Israel cowering in fear and David wasn’t?’
- What are you cowering in fear over?
- What has you paralyzed and fearful of your future?
- What area do you need to see the goodness of God fill and rule over?
As I was reading, I was struck how the enemy had become so much larger than God to the army of Israel. How did Israel lose sight of God’s provisions, miracles, signs and wonders, and deliverance? What had blocked Israel’s vision of God?
They had seen God deliver them, fight their battles, and defeat their enemies. But when faced with Goliath’s size, armour, skill, his taunting, his words, they couldn’t see their future, they only saw fear and defeat. The whole army of Israel was paralyzed by fear. They were stuck on their side of the valley, huddling in fear, they couldn’t see past what they saw across the battle field, they couldn’t hear past Goliath’s taunts. Their faith was demoralized, they felt hopeless, and no one was taking direction or authority over the battle. They were fixated on Goliath, their eyes were focused on what they saw. Their eyes were fixed on the enemy.
What is blocking your vision of God?
Then along comes David, he was just a youth; he had no battle experience. He had been tending his father’s sheep when his father sent him to the battlefield to check on his brothers. He comes into Israel’s camp and he hears Goliath. But let’s notice the difference in David’s actions and the army of Israel.
David heard the words, he saw Goliath, but it was like he was assessing the situation clinically. He did not allow it to settle into his spirit; he did not allow it to control him. He saw what was happening but his focus was not on himself but rather it was on God. He had an unshakable confidence in God. If God had helped him kill the lion and the bear, then why would this uncircumcised Philistine be any different? David was not deterred by the taunts of the enemy. He was not swayed by what he saw going on in front of him – Goliath’s size, armour and weapons). He fixed his gaze on God; he recounted what God had done in the past; he then moved forward with confidence in what God was going to do through him. He became fearless!
We all know how this story ends, David defeats Goliath with a small stone, cuts the head off the giant and Israel has victory over the Philistines.
But what does that mean for me today? How can this change my life? Those are great questions to ask! Often we are overwhelmed and swayed by what we see in front of us, we become fearful of that giant in our lives. We begin to fixate on it, dwell on it, we become captivated by it and in the end dominated by it. Just like Israel, we tremble with fear, and fixate on the enemy. We become paralyzed!
But God wants us to be like David, full of confidence in Him, seeing from the correct perspective. Goliath was a giant to many, but he was nothing to David! David saw Goliath as a defiant, heathen that was defying the armies of God.
David came forward and he told Goliath what was going to happen. He got vocal with Goliath! He challenged him – ‘you come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin……BUT I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defiled.’ He told Goliath what was going to happen. Look at the language of his words.
- ‘The Lord will deliver you into my hand.’ ‘
- I will strike you and take your head from you.’
- ‘I will feed the carcasses of your army to the birds and beasts.’
- ‘All of the earth will know there is a God in Israel.’
- ‘Everyone will know that you don’t save with a sword and spear, for the battle is the Lord’s.’
- ‘He will give you into our hands.’
Look at the difference between how the army of Israel dealt with Goliath and how David did! David took what he saw, filtered it through what he knew of his God, and spoke to the giant with authority. David took charge, he took authority; He stated what was going to happen to Goliath.
What giant are you facing today? What giant is causing you to live in fear? What giant is causing you to lose sight of the goodness of God in your life? What is blocking your vision of God? What are you focusing on, what are you seeing? What does the Word say about your giant?
Fix your eyes on Jesus! Speak the Word to your giant! Take authority over it and tell that giant what is going to happen to it! You are not subject to the giant; the giant is subject to you, by the power of the Living God!
Speak this over your enemy:
- _________________, you will not have victory. You are defeated by the Power of the Living God. By the blood of Christ, you are defeated and destroyed.
- _________________, you are utterly destroyed; not one part of you will remain in my life or body.
- By the authority and power of the Most High, Living God, we cut off your head and we feed you to the birds and beasts. Your authority to rule has been severed and you will not reign any longer.
- All of the earth will know that my God has delivered me! He will be glorified and the ends of the earth will know His name.
- This battle is not mine, but it is God’s. You fight for me and it is by Your power and His might that the battle is won. I rest and trust completely in You!
- Fear has no place in my life; I choose to walk in faith, having complete confidence in the Almighty God.
O God, open my eyes to see Your provisions in my life! Open my ears to hear Your voice; that it would drown out the taunts of the enemy. God, that I would see You for WHO you really are; larger in my life than the enemy that I am facing.
References: I Samuel 17, Hebrews 12:2