The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 5 May 2023 – Dealing With Your Goliaths
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TOPIC: Dealing With Your Goliaths
READ: 1 Samuel 17:28-47 (KJV)
28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.
29 And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?
30 And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner.
31 And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed them before Saul: and he sent for him.
32 And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.
33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
37 David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
38 And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.
39 And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
40 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him.
42 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.
43 And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.
44 And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.
46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto 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.
47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.
THE MESSAGE:
Weapons are needed for victory in battles of life. David used the following tools for victory over Goliath:
- Private spiritual development: David’s past victories over wild animals gave him courage to face Goliath (verses 34-37).
- Holy anger over the enemy’s intimidation, and willingness to prove God (verses 26, 32).
- Cutting off vision detractors: He refused discouragement from Eliab and King Saul (verses 28-33).
- Undaunted faith and confidence in God’s power (verse 37).
- Refusal to copy people’s tactics: David refused King Saul’s armour, but chose his personal tested tools (verses 38-39).
- Immediate response to the taunts of the enemy: David responded immediately to Goliath’s threats because meditation on the intimidation of the enemy builds fear (verses 43-47).
- Positive confession: David declared that the Lord would give him victory over Goliath (verse 37).
- Declaration of the exact desired nature of victory: David boldly declared cutting off Goliath’s head and defeating the Philistine armies (verse 46).
- Quest to promote God’s glory: David said that his victory would prove God’s Supremacy (verse 47).
- Willingness to utilise available spiritual and physical resources (verse 40).
Victory comes by God’s touch on the instrument being used. So, use these ten weapons and you will have testimonies of the power of God over impossibilities.
PRAYER: Oh Lord, help me to utilise these tools in winning the battles of life to Your glory, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
