~ by Terry Walters
1 Samuel 17:1-52
Confession time! Over the years I have
needed to face fears of all kinds.
I'm sure you have, too. Here are some of mine:
fear of the dark. Fear of heights.
Afraid of water - before I learned to swim.
Fear of failure. Afraid to speak in front of a crowd.
What are some you have had to deal with?
Bullies? Certain animals? Flying in a plane?
There are too many phobias and fears to count.
Some are not too hard to face
- some are almost debilitating!
The Philistine giant named Goliath had the
entire Israelite army frozen with fear!
He was huge, well-armed, and trained in battle.
He taunted them and made fun of their God, Jehovah.
Young David came to the camp to check on
his brothers and sized up the situation.
He faced Goliath in the name and strength
of the Lord and defeated him!
He said he was not afraid because
he believed God would help him.
That is the key - faith in God.
David knew that even though
Goliath was big, David's God was bigger!
We never have to face our “enemies” alone.
God can help us overcome fears, obstacles,
weaknesses, limited abilities and resources, whatever!
He is bigger than anything we will ever have to face!
Prayer: Dear Lord, face our giants with us.
Help us to conquer fears and foes in Your name!
Give us wisdom and the courage
that comes from following You.
P.S. Ever wonder about David’s five stones?
If he believed God would help him defeat Goliath,
why did he take five stones into battle?
According to further records in 2 Samuel 21 and
1 Chronicles 20, there were other giants!
We cannot be sure of the original wording,
but they were either brothers or sons of Goliath.
Other soldiers could have attacked, too,
so in any case, David was fully prepared
to take on even more of the enemy!
After David became the leader of the Israelite army,
his men killed these other giants, too!
Books by Terry - My Blog - My Facebook Page - Pastor's Favorites - Daily Devotions Page