Most people have heard of the story of David and Goliath that comes out of the book of 1st Samuel in Old Testament. To this day people use it as a quote. Basically the way the story goes is this:
The Philistines and Israelites where on opposing hills with a valley between them, ready to go to war.
1SA 17:4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall……..
1SA 17:8 Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel,……..
1SA 17:16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.
The Philistines had a giant that would come out of their camp twice a day and would intimidate the Israelites to the point where they where scared to fight. He did this for forty days.
Lets go in the story from Goliath to David an Israelite. David was the youngest son of 8 with 3 older brothers in the war. He tended his fathers sheep. His dad sent him to take food to the older brothers and the commander. While there he heard Goliath and he wanted to know what had been going on.
He started checking into it. When one of his brothers found out, he got mad at him thinking he was there to watch not doing what he was suppose to do, like herding the sheep.
King Saul heard about David and had him brought to him.
1SA 17:32 David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him." 1SA 17:33 Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." 1SA 17:34 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, 35 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. 36 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. 37 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."
Saul trying to help dressed him in his own tunic and put armor on him. He couldn't hardly walk in this stuff so he took it off.
1SA 17 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.
1SA 17:48 As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. 1SA 17:50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
What is the point I am trying to make with this story?
Starting at the beginning, no matter how big the problem, you have to deal with it. They usually don't go away. Look at Goliath, he had been at it for forty days.
Sometime when you have a problem that you need to deal with, there will be people think you are not doing what you are suppose to. Like David's brother, thinking he shouldn't be there.
Some people think you are not good enough to handle the problem, or they think they have to help you and know what is best just like King Saul.
So what do you do?
David knew what he had to do; he knew how he had to do it.
How did he know that? He was close to God and he trusted God. It gave him confidence. He walked so close with God that he knew God would help him defeat Goliath. He also knew how it needed to be done and he went and did it. He knew his God was way bigger then Goliath.
We all have a "Goliath" in our life now and then. Will you be successful against your Goliath?
What if others say you can't be? What if others say they know how you are suppose to handle your Goliath? What do you do then?
You have to pray and be close to God, that way you can look at advice and see if it is good. Most times you can get good advice from people you trust, but sometimes advice is not in your best interest. Be close enough to God so you know exactly what he wants you to do and then go do it. Be close enough to God that you know you can trust him and you can trust what you hear him telling you.
