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"Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, 'What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?'"
(1 Samuel 17:26)
How well are you trusting God? My goal this week in these devotions is to come alongside you and admonish you to trust God at all times with all that is within you. He is awesome and worthy of our praise and trust. The best way to increase and grow your faith is by getting into the Word of God and allowing God to speak His truth to your heart. That is what I have done by listening to these powerful messages by Dr. Charles Stanley. His message on the thrill of trusting God was both encouraging and convicting.
The biblical text Stanley used for his message on faith was 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath. He could have chosen many biblical texts that address the key doctrine of God's people trusting the Lord and walking by faith. He said people might react and say they know this story very well. But he challenged the hearers by asking, "But do you know the key or the secret that made it possible for the young shepherd boy to take out a formidable foe, this giant from Gath?" All of us have Goliaths, major trials, big challenges that grasp and overpower us and cause much fear. So, how can we overcome? I love this song by Elevation Worship entitled, "Same God". It is a song that reflects upon the God of Scripture and how He acted and delivered His people like Jacob, Moses, Mary, and yes, David. The same God that blessed and delivered His people then will deliver His people today. My favorite line in the song is: "I may not face Goliath, but I've got my own giants."
David faced a literal giant! Goliath was over 9 feet tall, and for 40 days he arrogantly challenged the Israelite army and the God of Israel. In 1 Samuel 17:22-24 we read, "And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers. Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard them. And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid."
Flight and fear are what we do when we look at our giant problems instead of our all-powerful God. The difference between David and the rest of the people was this: whereas they looked upon the problem facing them, David looked upon the God that he knew would deliver them.
Where are you looking today? Are your problems so severe and your trial so difficult that you now believe that God cannot handle this? You might say, "Well, I never would say anything like that!" But your actions say something else. You are fearful and not trusting in the Lord. I am not minimizing your difficulty, but I do want to echo what Zahea told me in the hospital, we either believe God or we do not. Will you believe Him at this moment?
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