FACINT THE GOLIATHS

1Samuel 17:1-58

Every human being faces challenges. But also every Christian can face challenges confidently, and become victorious in the battles of life. The story in our text is about a national challenge that faced Israel as a nation. They had just crowned their first king – King Saul, and Israel was not yet a warlike nation. Suddenly, the Philistines surrounded them. The Israelites were afraid. Their king was afraid. They were particularly afraid of the champion of the Philistines – the Giant, Goliath!

Then came the young man David with fearlessness, courage, determination and connection to God. He faced Goliath with the most unconventional weapons of war – faith in God and five smooth sling stones. He defeated Goliath and won a decisive victory for Israel.

Life Full Of Challenges

Goliath Challenges

Challenges Can Create Fear

The Enemy Must Be Faced

Loss of Courage

Challenges a part of life. As soon as we are born we face challenges. A new born baby must grow. He/she must learn how to walk, how to avoid being hurt. Then he must learn many things about life. He must go to school and face the challenges of learning a new subject. After finishing he must now compete with others for a few job openings! When he gets married, Oh that is a new set of challenges.

Challenges can make or break a person. To be more precise, it is the attitude we show during challenges that can make us winners or losers in the battle of life. Recently my wife called my attention to the sale of the Giant baked beans company called Heinz. It was bought by billionaire Warren Buffet for $16billion. These men are men who have challenges, but they know how to turn these challenges into advantages. David did the same thing when he faced the formidable challenge posed by Goliath. Goliath was one of the giants of Philistia. Later as a king, David and his men battled many Giants – Ishbi-Benob, Saph, the brother of Goliath, and the giant with twelve fingers and twelve toes (2Sam.21:15-22).

When we read the psalms of David we feel, what a blessed man, and he is. But  don't forget he faced many challenges even after he was anointed king, filled with the Holy Spirit. How do I know he was filled with the Holy Spirit? To answer that just look at the inspired psalms he wrote. Some of them he wrote while running away from enemies, some when he had made great mistakes. Looking at the life of David we can see that challenges will come even to people favoured by God.  He was pursued for many years by King Saul. Later he fell into the sin of adultery which brought devastation upon his family.  He had to grapple with incest and murder among his children. He was overthrown by his son Absalom and once again became a fugitive.

So as a Christian today if you face challenges do not fear or fret. God may have allowed it to strengthen your faith. The eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews is filled with men and women who by faith in God overcame great challenges. Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barack, Samson, Jephtha, Samuel and the prophets of God. As a follower of Christ, you are not different. 

What challenges are you facing today? Health? Family? Education? Employment? Domiciliary issues? Children? Marriage? Money? Temptations? I propose today that none of these challenges will break us in Jesus name! I declare by the word of the Lord that in all these we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us!

Therefore we do not lose faith, we do not lose hope, we do not lose heart. We must face our challenges head on. We will overcome like David did.

(James 1:2-4; 1Cor.10:13; 1Sam.17:45; Psalm 23:1-6)

Attitude During Life’s Challenges

Courage (Deut.31:6)

Determination (Isaiah 50:7)

Fearlessness

Closeness To God (John 15:5)

The presence of Goliath struck fear in the hearts of Israelites. They could see no way of defeating the Philistines with Goliath as their leader. But then there was the young man David, who had a different understanding. He believed differently, like Michelangelo prayed, “Lord grant that I may always desire more than I accomplish”. A Russian proverb says, “In the kingdom of hope, there is no winter”. And yet another proverb says, “A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day”. Then the book of proverbs says “He that observeth the weather shall not sow”.

How did David face Goliath?

(i) With Courage (1Sam.17:32-37).  Courage is a quality of mind or the spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, or pain without fear. David had courage. His courage was not based on his strength or ability as a warrior. His courage was dependent on God. He had testimonies to prove it. God’s Word is full of encouragement to the believer (Deut.31:6; Joshua 1:3-9; 1Chron.28:20; Psalm 27:1-2; Isa.41:10; 54:4; Mat.10:28; Romans 8:15; 2Tim.1:7). Whoever trusts in God’s unchanging love, builds on the rock which cannot be moved. We must then stay in the love of God. If you have not been born again you cannot face the trials and temptations that will face you with courage.  (ii)With Determination (1Sam.17:41-47). Determination is an act of coming to a firm decision, fixing your mind on a set purpose. Determination is like a heat seeking missile. You set your purpose on something, you fix your attention on it. You direct all your energy, all your labour on it. You follow through, never giving up until it is done. That is what David did. Regardless of the personality of Goliath, regardless of the power of Goliath Regardless of the prowess of Goliath, David homed in with his sling shot, and Goliath fell dead in an instant.

Lions are known to be the most fearless of all animals. It is not afraid of even the biggest, most ferocious beasts around. As a Christian God has not given you the spirit of fear but of power, of love and of a sound mind. This is the heritage of all those who believe in Jesus and who abide in Him.

Paths To Victory During Life’s Challenges

Fear Not The Enemy

Put On The Whole Amour Of God

Stay Close and Connected To God

What shall we do when problems come our way? What shall we do when difficulties arise? What shall we do when we face the enemy? What shall we do in the hour of temptation? What shall we do in the time of need? We do like David. Fear not the enemy. Be bold in God (1Sam.17:26, 32-47). We face the enemy in the name of the Lord Jesus, not in our own strength or ability.

Put on the whole amour of God. David could not put on Saul's amour. By divine revelation He chose five smooth stones and a sling, that was all ( ;Eph. 6:10-18). Believers have every resource to be victorious in Christ Jesus.

David knew God! He was God’s chosen and anointed. He was full of God’s spirit. He was full of courage, determination, fearlessness and he was close to God.

Are you close to God? Are you saved? Are you a disciple of Jesus (John 15:5). Then are you courageous? For some Christians it is the courage to obey God they lack! How can you be successful in that way! Without courage you will turn your back to the enemy. Have you got the determination to be victorious that nothing can stop you?

You cannot fail. You cannot lose. You will overcome. You will be victorious.