32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” ~ 1 Samuel 17:32-37
By now, Goliath was taunting the Israelite army for a whole of 40 days. That is running to almost a month and a half now, and nothing was being done about him. Even the king, the mighty king Saul was afraid to fight hand to hand combat with the giant.
So, David began to inquire about the situation as if he was going to do something about it. The men who heard him were clutching at straws when they relayed the news to the king. But when the king called him in and saw that he was only a teenage boy, I’m sure his heart fell. His high hopes of Israel’s pride and confidence being restored were quickly smashed.
But David insisted, not out of pride, but out of confidence, because we walk by faith, not by sight. David remembered his quiet time. He remembered how he killed the lion with the help of God. He remembered how he killed the bear with the help of God. He was confident in who his God was because he had spent time with his God. He had a personal relationship with Him. David was able to not only face Goliath but fully defeat him with the help of God because of his great faith.
This is how we are to fight the giants in our lives. Some will say it’s impossible to overcome the giants in your land. They’ll tell you you’re too young like they told David. Or too poor, too weak. Or they’ll bring up your past or your parents’ past. They’ll give you every reason they can think of that this giant in your way will overcome you, but as long as you follow God with faith and confidence, you can overcome any giant in your land.
Peace. Love. Go Forth and Remember the Lion and the Bear.