I Samuel 17 begins by describing the immense size of the giant named Goliath. Go back and read my post from last Thursday for all of the details. And who is it that takes down this mammoth man? It is a boy – not just any boy – a shepherd boy.
We learn from this passage that David was the youngest of 8 sons born to his father, Jesse. Being the youngest, he was too young for battle so he spent most of his time out on the hillsides of Bethlehem tending his father’s sheep.
His three oldest brothers were in the Israelite army and were off to war against their enemy, the Philistines. Jesse was worried about his sons and sent young David to take them supplies and to check on their welfare. What David didn’t know that day as he headed toward the battlefield was that instead of armies, he would be one of only two people who would fight that day, the other being Goliath the great giant.
Now before we ever get to the crux of the story that involves David, his slingshot and 5 smooth stones, let’s not pass over what we have just learned. Let me show it to you again right from the pages of 1 Samuel 17:5. While his brothers were at war, here is where we find David:
“But David went back and forth…to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.”
David was the youngest. David was a shepherd. Why is this so important to note? I think it is important for this reason. What was it that David did during all of those lonely hours on the hillside of Bethlehem with his father’s sheep around him? We know from the rest of Scripture that he spent much of that time with God. He talked to God on that hillside. He sang to God on that hillside. He worshipped God on that hillside. He listened to God on that hillside.
I would like to suggest to you that this is what prepared David, instead of all of the older, stronger fighting men of Israel, to be the one to face and defeat Goliath. David was the man of the hour in large part because David learned the need for communication with God.
So what is the first lesson that you and I need to learn if we are going to be able to face the giants that are in our lives? We must firs t develop and be faithful to the spiritual discipline of communicating with God. Before we can ever fight our giant in the Valley of Elah, we must first spend time on the hillsides of Bethlehem. Before we can put our focus on the giants in our lives, we must first put our focus on our God.
It’s not your age that prepares you for giants. It is not your size that prepares you for giants. It is not your position that prepares you for giants. It is communicating with God – talking to Him, singing to Him, worshipping Him, and listening to Him – that prepares you to face the giants that will come into your life.
We learn from this passage that David was the youngest of 8 sons born to his father, Jesse. Being the youngest, he was too young for battle so he spent most of his time out on the hillsides of Bethlehem tending his father’s sheep.
His three oldest brothers were in the Israelite army and were off to war against their enemy, the Philistines. Jesse was worried about his sons and sent young David to take them supplies and to check on their welfare. What David didn’t know that day as he headed toward the battlefield was that instead of armies, he would be one of only two people who would fight that day, the other being Goliath the great giant.
Now before we ever get to the crux of the story that involves David, his slingshot and 5 smooth stones, let’s not pass over what we have just learned. Let me show it to you again right from the pages of 1 Samuel 17:5. While his brothers were at war, here is where we find David:
“But David went back and forth…to tend his father’s flock at Bethlehem.”
David was the youngest. David was a shepherd. Why is this so important to note? I think it is important for this reason. What was it that David did during all of those lonely hours on the hillside of Bethlehem with his father’s sheep around him? We know from the rest of Scripture that he spent much of that time with God. He talked to God on that hillside. He sang to God on that hillside. He worshipped God on that hillside. He listened to God on that hillside.
I would like to suggest to you that this is what prepared David, instead of all of the older, stronger fighting men of Israel, to be the one to face and defeat Goliath. David was the man of the hour in large part because David learned the need for communication with God.
So what is the first lesson that you and I need to learn if we are going to be able to face the giants that are in our lives? We must firs t develop and be faithful to the spiritual discipline of communicating with God. Before we can ever fight our giant in the Valley of Elah, we must first spend time on the hillsides of Bethlehem. Before we can put our focus on the giants in our lives, we must first put our focus on our God.
It’s not your age that prepares you for giants. It is not your size that prepares you for giants. It is not your position that prepares you for giants. It is communicating with God – talking to Him, singing to Him, worshipping Him, and listening to Him – that prepares you to face the giants that will come into your life.
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