David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." Saul said to David, "Go, and the Lord be with you." -I Samuel 17:32-37
The Scripture shows us how a young shepherd boy named David was able to bring down a giant by the name of Goliath, and he did so with the power of God and a slingshot. When David inquired of the king about facing the giant, Saul tried to dissuade him on the grounds that David was not ready for such a battle. David pointed out that God had long been preparing him for that very conflict. As David stood guard over his father’s flocks, sometimes a lion or a bear would come and try to attack the sheep. David would then courageously confront the animal and kill it with a club. Can you imagine such daring? This young man would literally grasp the wild animal by the scruff of the neck and then beat it to death with a club. Animal rights activists might find this disturbing, but remember that it was done purely in defense of the flock and not for sport. I cannot help but admire such courage. Personally, the only way I want to confront a lion or a bear in the wild is with a high-powered rifle. Otherwise I would be running for my life!
What David was trying to get the king to understand was that those smaller battles had prepared him for this much larger one. In the end, David’s preparation paid off; he defeated a giant that no one else would dare confront. When we trust the Lord every day and stand firm in the faith, God will ever be preparing us for the greater battles that lie ahead. Each spiritual battle we face makes us stronger and better prepared for whatever temptation, frustration, problem, or challenge that awaits us. Often it’s those smaller spiritual battles that grow us over the long haul.
Each day we are challenged by our faith in Christ to do what is right and God-honoring. Did the clerk at the store give you too much change? The godly response is to give it back. Did a friend or co-worker say something unkind? The Christ-like response is to take the high ground of faith and offer forgiveness. Are you being tempted to do something that compromises your principles or morals? Christ compels us to stand firm and not surrender to temptation.
We have no way of knowing when we will confront our Goliath. But know this: when we are faithful every day and standing firm in the smaller spiritual battles, then we will be prepared for when that day comes. Afterward, you will marvel at the miracle of faith and resolve the Lord has brought about in your life.
Stand firm. Do not surrender. Resist the devil. Trust the Lord at all times and no matter what. The troubled soul will find spiritual strength and power to stand firm which was previously unimaginable. Truly, the power of Christ in us is amazing.
Thanks you, Lord, for your blessed power made real in us through Jesus Christ.
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