Facing Your Goliath
By Les D. Crause
By Les D. Crause
1 Samuel 17:45- 47 Then David said to the Philistine, You come to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day to the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
I have always hated tall strong people. Perhaps it is because I was not given the height that I would like to have had, and in my early childhood I suffered many illnesses that left me weak and frail for a large part of my life. And if there is one thing that has always plagued me, it is people who use their natural strengths to impose their will on others that are weaker. I guess I tend to fight for the underdog because I was one so many times in my life. And when I read the story of David and Goliath it gives me hope and courage.
David was the younger son and by most natural standards the weaker and more frail amongst his brothers. He was given the job of looking after the sheep, while his older brothers went off to war to do the real manly stuff. Poor little David, typical blue-eyed blond and gentle boy was considered unsuitable for such a job. He was just his father's gopher, taking provisions to his brothers at the battlefront. And when he arrived there they were irritated and embarrassed at his presence. It was almost as if they didn't want their friends to know that this little wimp was their brother.
But this little weakling was not as weak as he looked. He had learned all alone with his father's sheep, how to deal with enemies like a lion and bear. No one even knew about this. He did not go and brag about it to everyone. It all happened behind the scenes. And behind the scenes God was training this young man to become the greatest king that Israel had ever known. So much so that even Jesus was called the Son of David. And David was known as a man after God's heart. The Lord did not look on David like others did. He saw what was in his heart.
And when David saw the Philistine Goliath threatening God's armies and making them flee in terror, an anger arose in him that would not quit. He couldn't believe that anyone would let this person get away with his threats without doing something about it. And instead of quivering in fear like his macho brothers, he determined to go out against the giant and defeat him. How could he possibly do this when he was unskilled in warfare? Well who said he was unskilled in warfare? David had learned a far better warfare. He had learned to use the instruments that God had placed at his disposal. He used the power of his harp and his sling. With his harp he tapped into the power of God through his music and singing, and with his sling he used the skill that he had developed as a shepherd.
When he went out to face the giant, king Saul tried to impose on him the 'done' way of going into battle. After all, if you are going to face a giant, you should go with some kind of protection shouldn't you? You have to be clothed in armor. And you have to carry a weapon like a sword to attack with. But David went clothed in something far greater, and he took with him a weapon far greater than what his opponent was carrying. He went clothed in the protection of the Word of God, that told him he was in covenant with almighty God. And he took with him the only weapons he needed.
No I am not talking about his sling. I am talking about a far greater weapon than that. It was a weapon that no enemy could ever have resisted or stood against. It was the weapon that he carried in his mouth. I want you to read the passage above very carefully and notice exactly how David used his weapons.
The first one he pulled out was the Name of the Lord of Hosts. He told the giant that his sword, spear and shield were nothing compared with the weapon he carried. He took his stand on the Name.
Then David opened up his whole arsenal and he let the enemy have everything he had. He took out his weapons and threw them at that giant in such rapid succession that the giant did not have time to even lift his sword or spear. He opened his mouth and sent forth at the giant the greatest ammunition that you can fire at an enemy - words anointed and inspired by faith.
I want to show you some of the things David told the giant he was going to do. Note he did not say the things he hoped to do. He said quite clearly, I WILL, several times. Just have a look how many WILL's he spoke.
1. This day the LORD WILL deliver you into my hand
2. I WILL strike you, and take your head from you
3. I WILL give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day to the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel .
4. And all this assembly SHALL know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear:
5. for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he WILL give you into our hands.
There was not a single 'maybe' or 'might' in David's words. David was a man of faith. And faith in the Bible sense means to know that you know that you know. Faith means to be fully convinced without any doubt. And faith is released into the earth through the mouth, using words. And as David faced that giant he took the weapons of faith that he had in his heart and he spoke them forth into the earth against the enemy.
How did David defeat Goliath? With a sling and stones? No he defeated him with the words of his mouth. And then he added one more thing to his faith to bring it to completion - action. Does not the Scripture say in James that faith without corresponding action is dead? Faith requires words and action, otherwise it lies dormant in your heart. But when it is released in this way it is devastating in its power.
Jesus knew how to use it also. He was the Son of David wasn't he? And when He stood facing the greatest enemy of mankind - death, at the grave of His good friend Lazarus, he used the same weapons. He spoke forth the words of faith that released the power of God to work. He told His disciples that Lazarus was just asleep and He was going to wake him. He told Mary and Martha that their brother would rise again. And then He put His faith into action by telling them to roll the stone away from the tomb.
And then, when all the groundwork is laid, it takes just one simple act to complete the process. When David launched His stone at the giant, his days were numbered, and he was about to become history. When Jesus spoke to the dead body and commanded Lazarus to come forth, there was nothing in the world that could have stopped it from taking place.
I want you to know that what David had and what Jesus had are ours today. For faith is not a gift of God bestowed only on those whom He sovereignty ordains to bless with it. But faith is the very essence of the Spirit that dwells in us through the New Birth. And all we need to do is learn how to release it.
And when you have learned how to tap into that power in your spirit and release it, as David did, then you will find how easy it is to take up that power in your lips and send it forth into the earth against every adversary and to overcome and defeat the Goliaths that you face in your life.
This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand; and I will strike you, and take your head from you; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day to the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he will give you into our hands.
I have always hated tall strong people. Perhaps it is because I was not given the height that I would like to have had, and in my early childhood I suffered many illnesses that left me weak and frail for a large part of my life. And if there is one thing that has always plagued me, it is people who use their natural strengths to impose their will on others that are weaker. I guess I tend to fight for the underdog because I was one so many times in my life. And when I read the story of David and Goliath it gives me hope and courage.
David was the younger son and by most natural standards the weaker and more frail amongst his brothers. He was given the job of looking after the sheep, while his older brothers went off to war to do the real manly stuff. Poor little David, typical blue-eyed blond and gentle boy was considered unsuitable for such a job. He was just his father's gopher, taking provisions to his brothers at the battlefront. And when he arrived there they were irritated and embarrassed at his presence. It was almost as if they didn't want their friends to know that this little wimp was their brother.
But this little weakling was not as weak as he looked. He had learned all alone with his father's sheep, how to deal with enemies like a lion and bear. No one even knew about this. He did not go and brag about it to everyone. It all happened behind the scenes. And behind the scenes God was training this young man to become the greatest king that Israel had ever known. So much so that even Jesus was called the Son of David. And David was known as a man after God's heart. The Lord did not look on David like others did. He saw what was in his heart.
And when David saw the Philistine Goliath threatening God's armies and making them flee in terror, an anger arose in him that would not quit. He couldn't believe that anyone would let this person get away with his threats without doing something about it. And instead of quivering in fear like his macho brothers, he determined to go out against the giant and defeat him. How could he possibly do this when he was unskilled in warfare? Well who said he was unskilled in warfare? David had learned a far better warfare. He had learned to use the instruments that God had placed at his disposal. He used the power of his harp and his sling. With his harp he tapped into the power of God through his music and singing, and with his sling he used the skill that he had developed as a shepherd.
When he went out to face the giant, king Saul tried to impose on him the 'done' way of going into battle. After all, if you are going to face a giant, you should go with some kind of protection shouldn't you? You have to be clothed in armor. And you have to carry a weapon like a sword to attack with. But David went clothed in something far greater, and he took with him a weapon far greater than what his opponent was carrying. He went clothed in the protection of the Word of God, that told him he was in covenant with almighty God. And he took with him the only weapons he needed.
No I am not talking about his sling. I am talking about a far greater weapon than that. It was a weapon that no enemy could ever have resisted or stood against. It was the weapon that he carried in his mouth. I want you to read the passage above very carefully and notice exactly how David used his weapons.
The first one he pulled out was the Name of the Lord of Hosts. He told the giant that his sword, spear and shield were nothing compared with the weapon he carried. He took his stand on the Name.
Then David opened up his whole arsenal and he let the enemy have everything he had. He took out his weapons and threw them at that giant in such rapid succession that the giant did not have time to even lift his sword or spear. He opened his mouth and sent forth at the giant the greatest ammunition that you can fire at an enemy - words anointed and inspired by faith.
I want to show you some of the things David told the giant he was going to do. Note he did not say the things he hoped to do. He said quite clearly, I WILL, several times. Just have a look how many WILL's he spoke.
1. This day the LORD WILL deliver you into my hand
2. I WILL strike you, and take your head from you
3. I WILL give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day to the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel .
4. And all this assembly SHALL know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear:
5. for the battle [is] the LORD'S, and he WILL give you into our hands.
There was not a single 'maybe' or 'might' in David's words. David was a man of faith. And faith in the Bible sense means to know that you know that you know. Faith means to be fully convinced without any doubt. And faith is released into the earth through the mouth, using words. And as David faced that giant he took the weapons of faith that he had in his heart and he spoke them forth into the earth against the enemy.
How did David defeat Goliath? With a sling and stones? No he defeated him with the words of his mouth. And then he added one more thing to his faith to bring it to completion - action. Does not the Scripture say in James that faith without corresponding action is dead? Faith requires words and action, otherwise it lies dormant in your heart. But when it is released in this way it is devastating in its power.
Jesus knew how to use it also. He was the Son of David wasn't he? And when He stood facing the greatest enemy of mankind - death, at the grave of His good friend Lazarus, he used the same weapons. He spoke forth the words of faith that released the power of God to work. He told His disciples that Lazarus was just asleep and He was going to wake him. He told Mary and Martha that their brother would rise again. And then He put His faith into action by telling them to roll the stone away from the tomb.
And then, when all the groundwork is laid, it takes just one simple act to complete the process. When David launched His stone at the giant, his days were numbered, and he was about to become history. When Jesus spoke to the dead body and commanded Lazarus to come forth, there was nothing in the world that could have stopped it from taking place.
I want you to know that what David had and what Jesus had are ours today. For faith is not a gift of God bestowed only on those whom He sovereignty ordains to bless with it. But faith is the very essence of the Spirit that dwells in us through the New Birth. And all we need to do is learn how to release it.
And when you have learned how to tap into that power in your spirit and release it, as David did, then you will find how easy it is to take up that power in your lips and send it forth into the earth against every adversary and to overcome and defeat the Goliaths that you face in your life.