A DAVID IN MY GENERATION

THE DAILY FOUNTAIN DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE OF THE CHURCH OF NIGERIA (ANGLICAN COMMUNION)

DATE: THURSDAY, 4TH MAY, 2023 

TOPIC: A DAVID IN MY GENERATION

TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 17: 1-27

1. Now the Philistines gathered their armies together to battle, and were gathered together at Sochoh, which [belongs] to Judah; they encamped between Sochoh and Azekah, in Ephes Dammim.

2. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and they encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in battle array against the Philistines.

3. The Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.

4. And a champion went out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height [was] six cubits and a span.

5.  [He had] a bronze helmet on his head, and he [was] armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat [was] five thousand shekels of bronze.

6.  And [he had] bronze armor on his legs and a bronze javelin between his shoulders.

7.  Now the staff of his spear [was] like a weaver's beam, and his iron spearhead [weighed] six hundred shekels; and a shield-bearer went before him.

8.  Then he stood and cried out to the armies of Israel, and said to them, "Why have you come out to line up for battle? [Am] I not a Philistine, and you the servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me.

9.  "If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us."

10.  And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together."

11.  When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12.  Now David [was] the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name [was] Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced [in years,] in the days of Saul.

13.  The three oldest sons of Jesse had gone to follow Saul to the battle. The names of his three sons who went to the battle [were] Eliab the firstborn, next to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

14.  David [was] the youngest. And the three oldest followed Saul.

15.  But David occasionally went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

16.  And the Philistine drew near and presented himself forty days, morning and evening.

17.  Then Jesse said to his son David, "Take now for your brothers an ephah of this dried [grain] and these ten loaves, and run to your brothers at the camp.

18.  "And carry these ten cheeses to the captain of [their] thousand, and see how your brothers fare, and bring back news of them."

19.  Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel [were] in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

20.  So David rose early in the morning, left the sheep with a keeper, and took [the things] and went as Jesse had commanded him. And he came to the camp as the army was going out to the fight and shouting for the battle.

21.  For Israel and the Philistines had drawn up in battle array, army against army.

22.  And David left his supplies in the hand of the supply keeper, ran to the army, and came and greeted his brothers.

23.  Then as he talked with them, there was the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, coming up from the armies of the Philistines; and he spoke according to the same words. So David heard [them.]

24.  And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were dreadfully afraid.

25.  So the men of Israel said, "Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be [that] the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father's house exemption [from taxes] in Israel."

26.  Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, “So shall it be done for the man who kills him.”

MESSAGE:

Verses 4 to 7 of our text gives the description of the terrifying and dominating personality called Goliath - with his fortifications - which made both King Saul and the Israelites to tremble with fear.  Note that as long as the Israelites feared, God did not deliver them. David declared by faith, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that defies the army of the living God?” David understood his authority, that the army of Israel was not an ordinary army but the army of the Almighty God. 

 

Many times, we face seemingly insurmountable situations like mounting debts, unemployment, business downturns, bad governance, unexplained demonic attacks, ailing health conditions, etc. Such situations confront us daily making us forget our authority and the great power of God.  Worse still, there might be no one to encourage us (v.24). Learn from David and do not fear. Remember that you are a member of the army of the living God through the saving blood of Christ. The enemy is no match for you; your victory is complete in Christ. Rise up by faith and declare to that situation, “Who are you uncircumcised situation that is defying me as a member of the army of the living God?” Your faith will enable you to prevail over the mountains and you will have a resounding testimony like David. 

PRAYER: 

Lord, make me a David in my generation, in Jesus’ name. Amen.