Imagine standing in the ranks of the Israelites, hearing the booming voice of Goliath day after day. Wouldn't that be terrible? It's painful to think about, but it happens every day and we don't even know it. As you know by now, I have a very tender heart toward those who are in pain or have been abused. I want to remind us all that we have been listening to Goliath’s speeches for far too long. Our friends have been beaten down by the enemy’s lies and most of the time we don't take the time to notice. Our
So I ask you today, are you getting angry at your giant? Are you tired of his taunts and lies and the fears that those lies bring? Are you ready to say, “Enough is enough and I'm not going to take it anymore!”? Are you tired of the devastation caused by a foul-mouthed giant? Are you getting angry enough to do something about it? I am, and so was young David.
One of the greatest opportunities of my life and one that I dearly miss was the opportunity to touch the lives of my employees. I came to love the interview process because I learned so much about a person by listening to them tell me about their abilities, their strengths, and their passions. What far outweighed anything else was passion. I learned that if a man or woman had passion, they would find a way to succeed at anything they tried to accomplish.
Saul had been looking for someone who had the courage to take on Goliath. David walks up to him and says in 1 Samuel 17:32 NIV “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” That begins David’s battlefield interview. David had the attitude of a giant killer, and King Saul was listening—listening to the heart of young boy who couldn't even wear the king's armor but who would one day pick up his crown.
So I ask you today, are you getting angry at your giant? Are you tired of his taunts and lies and the fears that those lies bring? Are you ready to say, “Enough is enough and I'm not going to take it anymore!”? Are you tired of the devastation caused by a foul-mouthed giant? Are you getting angry enough to do something about it? I am, and so was young David.
One of the greatest opportunities of my life and one that I dearly miss was the opportunity to touch the lives of my employees. I came to love the interview process because I learned so much about a person by listening to them tell me about their abilities, their strengths, and their passions. What far outweighed anything else was passion. I learned that if a man or woman had passion, they would find a way to succeed at anything they tried to accomplish.
Saul had been looking for someone who had the courage to take on Goliath. David walks up to him and says in 1 Samuel 17:32 NIV “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” That begins David’s battlefield interview. David had the attitude of a giant killer, and King Saul was listening—listening to the heart of young boy who couldn't even wear the king's armor but who would one day pick up his crown.
So David stood before the king and laid out his resume. Graves are filled with men who even dared to speak to a king, yet David, bold but respectful of the king and his authority, approached him with wisdom and laid out a record of fearless capability. 1 Samuel 17:34-37 tells us, “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.’ ”
David's attitude got him the job, but it’s his humility that should impress and instruct those of us who wish to slay giants. David doesn't seem to be bragging to the king but is simply telling the story that occurred, showing the king that he is fearless and able to take on the giant. I love these words of David because they teach us so much about faith. David had faith that had been tested, and a man who has faith is a man who is worthy to be listened to.
It was clear to the king that David had the most important qualification for giant killing. In reading between the lines, this is what I see: that David was resourceful, brave, and fearless. David could think on his feet and adjust his strategy until he found a way to kill the giant. Check it out and see if you agree.
David speaks with such capability that you trust him. And trust him is exactly what King Saul did. Then 1 Samuel 17:38 tells us that Saul bestowed great honor upon David, “Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head.” David fastened a sword over the tunic and tried to get comfortable in the king’s clothes and armor. But remember what David said to Saul just a few minutes before? He talked about his experiences in going after a lion and a bear. But he had no experience in how to dress for war. Thus verse 39 tells us, “ ‘I cannot go in these,’ he said to Saul, ‘because I am not used to them.’ So he took them off.”
Wearing that armor just didn't feel right to David. And if you don't feel right, you're not able to kill giants. David knew this and delicately explained this to the king knowing that refusing to wear the king’s armor without adequate explanation would insult him. People had died doing that! Yet the king accepted his explanation and once again placed his confidence in David. And once again, David demonstrated humility before the king in verse 40, “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”
Wearing that armor just didn't feel right to David. And if you don't feel right, you're not able to kill giants. David knew this and delicately explained this to the king knowing that refusing to wear the king’s armor without adequate explanation would insult him. People had died doing that! Yet the king accepted his explanation and once again placed his confidence in David. And once again, David demonstrated humility before the king in verse 40, “Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine.”
I want to explain to you why David was not being foolhardy, but I can't. You can’t explain faith. You have to see it. You have to live around people that exude faith. So, as David was walking away from the king, I wonder what those standing and watching said? Were there taunts from some of the men? Could David hear the well-wishers’ voices or were they drowned out by those who thought he was a fool? Did the Israelites realize that they were watching history? Can you imagine in your mind’s eye that you are there? Can you feel the moment?
I want to share with you what I feel is so valuable; something that I think could change your life. No movie director has ever been able to capture what I'm going to share with you and if you don't pay close attention, it’s possible that you will miss this moment.
Imagine that you are David and that you are leaving the front line of the Israelites. Imagine hearing the well-wishers and the taunts of those as you pass by. As you begin to enter the valley, the winds shift and you realize the angels of heaven are with you every time you step out in faith and walk toward the giants of hell itself. The angels of heaven see and rejoice when faith stomps out fear, when hope destroys discouragement, when possibility destroys hopelessness, and when men and women take their first steps toward their destiny.
Imagine that you are David and that you are leaving the front line of the Israelites. Imagine hearing the well-wishers and the taunts of those as you pass by. As you begin to enter the valley, the winds shift and you realize the angels of heaven are with you every time you step out in faith and walk toward the giants of hell itself. The angels of heaven see and rejoice when faith stomps out fear, when hope destroys discouragement, when possibility destroys hopelessness, and when men and women take their first steps toward their destiny.
Is God calling you toward your destiny? Is the spirit of the living God drawing you closer and closer to a rendezvous with the giant? Are you getting angry enough to take the steps of faith that are needed to bring hope to the hopeless? Are you? Because if you are, the angels are cheering you on!
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