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CHAPTER 17 (ESV)
40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.
REFLECTION:
- David was full of confidence in God when he faced this gigantic enemy. He didn’t fight with his own might but God’s. The enemy’s threat and challenge didn’t shake David’s trust in God.
- What is the giant in my life? What are the struggles in my life? How could I defeat them?
PRAYER:
Dear God,
Help me to see, with Elisha, that greater are those who are with me than those who are with my enemy. Help me to see with Paul, that if You are for me, who can be against me? And help me to see, with David, that no opposition is gigantic when compared to You. Give me eyes to see, O Lord.
Help me to live by faith rather than by sight, courageously rather than fearfully.
Give me a God-dominated imagination, not a Goliath-dominated one.
Remind me of Your saving acts in biblical history. Remind me of Your saving acts in my own history.
And from those reminders, grant me the courage I need to fight whatever giants have come into my land…. (Conversation)
