David and the giant

1 Samuel 17:32-37 (NLT)
32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!” 33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” 34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”


These passages begin the story of David preparing to battle Goliath the Philistine. Goliath was a giant among men. His size alone imposed fear on those who saw him. He was an experienced man of war who had fought since he was a youth. David was just a young boy with a fair, ruddy complexion; but he was ready to face a giant of a man. David explains that “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.” He might have been just a boy, but he had been dealing with the responsibilities of a man and now he was ready to put His trust in God to fight against someone no one else would dare fight.


David was alone to himself most of the time as a young boy tending the family sheep. David had learned to defend against lions and bears that would attack the sheep. David knew God was the only one he could turn to in desperate times for no one else was there. David was a young boy seeking after God for his wisdom and his protection. The prophet Samuel referred to David when he said, “The Lord has sought out a man after His own heart” and yet David was a child. So this young boy had become a man before his time, but he was able to do so because he placed his trust and faith in God. By trusting God David was able to face the giants in his life. From reading the history of David we know David wasn’t perfect, nor did he always do what was right; but David was always seeking after God because he knew God was the one who he had to turn to in time of need. Whatever David could not do he counted on God to do. Do you trust God to do the same in your life?