The View From Down Here

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 17. Again. See the first post here!*

David, who was talking to the men standing around him, asked... “Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?”
1 Samuel 17:26 MSG

Today, let’s back up a little bit. Let’s go back to before the fight.

David isn’t even supposed to be there. I mean, obviously God sends him there to kill Goliath, but David wasn’t already at the battleground. David is not a part of the army. He’s a shepherd who also works part time as the palace musician and Saul’s armor bearer (1 Samuel 17:15). The reason he’s even at the battleground is because his dad sent him to take some food to his brothers who were in the army.

David was just being obedient and going on an errand. He had no idea that errand would change his life.

After David gets there, Goliath comes out tormenting the Israelites (God’s people, the side David is on) and calling for someone to come fight him. Back in these days, sometimes armies would put forth two of their best warriors and let them fight each other. Whoever won got to claim victory for their side. This prevented major bloodshed and loss of life.

So Goliath is out there yelling “FIGHT ME!” and he’s been doing this for FORTY DAYS. And no one has stepped up to fight him yet. Because, oh yeah, he’s NINE FOOT NINE and his armor alone weighs 125 POUNDS. When he comes out, the Israelites are so scared they run away! (1 Samuel 17:24)

But not David. Because David has a secret weapon. It’s not his slingshot. He doesn’t have any superhero powers like invisibility or super strength. The kid doesn’t even have any armor. But what he DOES have is God on his side.

When David sees Goliath, he asks, “Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?” (1 Samuel 17:26)

While everyone else saw a giant, David saw a mortal man defying his God. And he knew that, with God on his side, Goliath wasn’t a threat.

If David had looked at the situation from a human point of view, it would have been intimidating. David was shorter than Goliath. He had to look UP to Goliath. When a problem seems bigger than us… that’s scary. But David looked at the situation from God’s point of view, and from God’s view, Goliath was just like anyone else. He wasn’t intimidating. Because nothing and no one can intimidate God.

When faced with a situation that seems impossible, we need to be like David instead of the Israelites. The Israelites were afraid of the giant, but David found boldness in the Lord to fight. When we view impossible situations from God’s point of view, our giant doesn’t seem so big anymore.

And that’s when we find the courage to say, “I’ll go fight!”