Trust

Scripture reading: 1 Samuel 17:32-49

It is easy for us to read a story like David and Goliath and exclaim, “Wow, look at what the Lord did!” It is easy because we are not the ones getting our hands wet selecting stones from the brook. We are not the ones holding the sling shot. It’s always easy when we are not the ones getting dirty and when we can read about great acts of faith from a comfortable chair in our living room.

I wonder if it is this easy for us slay the Goliaths in our lives. In this short account of David’s conquest over Goliath, we have a glimpse of what it takes to face our own Goliath.

1. David had previous experience with the Lord. I believe it is all to easy to overlook David’s previous encounters with the Lord leading up to the day he laid Goliath out cold. In persuading Saul to let him go out onto the battle front and meet Goliath, David retells the stories of how he killed a lion and a bear that were threatening the herd of sheep he was tending for his father. David knew his father would be unhappy if he lost any of the sheep. David also knew his own life would be in danger if he let the lion and the bear have free reign, so David is quick to inform Saul that he killed the lion and the bear with the Lord’s help.

David had tested the Lord before going into battle. He knew what the Lord could do and would do.

2. David understood the teachings of the Lord. He knew that Goliath had committed acts of defilement, and he also knew that these acts were unacceptable to the Lord. David had a firm understanding of what the Lord expected from Israel, which was to reprove the sinful people on behalf of the Lord. David also knew that the Lord intended to show His glory in the world and that He would do this through Israel.

David received sound instruction and was diligent in learning the ways of the Lord and building his own relationship with the Lord. He also understood that we cannot put boundaries around the Lord and limit how He works. Many times we have to think outside the box and give the Lord free latitude to work. David understood that Saul’s armor not only limited his own movement but also limited what the Lord could do. Wearing the armor into battle would be like saying, “Ok Lord, choose from the weapons I’m wearing and let’s get this job done.” Instead, David said, “Ok Lord, choose your weapon, and I’ll go.” David accommodated the Lord and did not ask the Lord to accommodate him.

No doubt Saul and the military officers were aghast as they watched helplessly while David went out to meet Goliath in plain clothes holding only a slingshot and a few stones. Because David had tested the Lord before, he was well aware that no armor was necessary as long as he was about the Lord’s work.

3. David makes it clear that whatever we take into battle must be tested. By implication, he is referring to his having previously tested the Lord. Saul was afraid for David’s life because he had seen what Goliath had done to Israel’s army. Although everyone there probably knew, just as you and I know, that the armor was no match for Goliath, Saul had good intentions. It’s the thought that counts. David, on the other hand, not being familiar with wearing armor, took it off just as quickly as he put it on.

In preparing to write this article, I read several different versions/translations of the Bible. I intentionally used the King James Version here because it expresses what I believe to be the original intent. Other versions used different, less forceful words, and still other translations missed the mark entirely by simply saying David was not used to wearing armor and that is why he removed it. The King James Version makes it clear David removed the armor because he had not tested or proved it. It is a lesson in reading the Bible, that numerous translations/versions should be consulted to be sure you are getting the fullest impact of the account.

David required that he take into battle only those things that he had tested and proven to work. There was no time for him to test the armor and prove that it would help him in meeting Goliath. What he did know is that the Lord had been tested before and proven Himself to David. Because of David’s past experiences with the Lord, he was confident that he knew the Lord’s full capabilities, power and strength. If the Lord reigns supreme over the lion and the bear, who are at the top of the food chain and would wipe up the floor with a human being, then the Lord also reigns supreme over Goliath.

Testing is different from tempting. We should not tempt the Lord to do something for us that would prove He is real. This is making a mockery out of the Lord. Instead, we test the Lord by trusting in Him whenever we face an obstacle in life. The account of David and Goliath points out that David had first tested the Lord in smaller things before he was ready to move onto defeating Goliath. We test the Lord by stepping back from a situation and allowing Him to move and work and to bring about His own resolution. In other words, we test the Lord by surrendering ourselves to Him and giving Him full latitude to work. When we do this in the small things, then the Lord will send bigger things along our pathway until we have worked our way up to trusting in the Lord to tackle the Goliath in our lives.

4. David went into battle with Goliath placing his complete trust in the Lord. No matter what happened, David placed his life and the outcome of the situation in the Lord’s hands. This means David could have been killed by Goliath, or David could have killed Goliath. It also means David could have been captured and taken prisoner. Come what may, David trusted the Lord.

When we test the Lord and allow Him to prove Himself in our situations, we must accept the Lord’s resolution as final and for our good. Joseph was carted off to Egypt as a slave and spent time in prison. It was all for the glory of the Lord. Paul spent time in chains, and it was for the Lord’s glory. Stephen was martyred, and it was for the Lord’s glory. David went out to meet Goliath and lived to become one of Israel’s greatest warriors and kings, and it was for the Lord’s glory.

We must accept the Lord’s desires as final because there is a greater purpose behind His acts that we often cannot see.

Finally, the account of David and Goliath is reason to have courage. David had a tremendous amount of courage going into battle against Goliath, and the source of that courage was nothing less than the power of the Lord. It is an example for you and me that we can have courage in facing the Goliaths in our lives because we have the Lord’s power with us as we go. Even though our situations may be larger than anything we have faced before and we have no idea what the outcome may be, the courage of the Lord is with us at every turn. There is no reason to fear. What seems unknown is not all that scary when we know that the Lord is love and always has our highest good in mind.

One final closing thought is Psalm 27:14, “Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.” (NASB)