DEALING WITH YOUR GOLIATHS

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

DATE: FRIDAY, 5TH MAY, 2023 

TOPIC: DEALING WITH YOUR GOLIATHS

TEXT: 1 SAMUEL 17: 28-47

17:28.  Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab's anger was aroused against David, and he said, "Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle."

17:29.  And David said, "What have I done now? [Is there] not a cause?"

17:30.  Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones [did.]

17:31.  Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported [them] to Saul; and he sent for him.

17:32.  Then David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

17:33.  And Saul said to David, "You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you [are] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."

17:34.  But David said to Saul, "Your servant used to keep his father's sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock,

17:35.  I went out after it and struck it, and delivered [the lamb] from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught [it] by its beard, and struck and killed it.

17:36.  "Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God."

17:37.  Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!"

17:38.  So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail.

17:39.  David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested [them.] And David said to Saul, "I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested [them."] So David took them off.

17:40.  Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine.

17:41.  So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield [went] before him.

17:42.  And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was [only] a youth, ruddy and good-looking.

17:43.  So the Philistine said to David, "[Am] I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

17:44.  And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

17:45.  Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

17:46.  "This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

17:47.  "Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle [is] the LORD's, and He will give you into our hands."

 

MESSAGE: 

Weapons are needed for victory in battles of life.  David used the following tools for victory over Goliath:

1.     Private spiritual development: David’s past victories over wild animals gave him courage to face Goliath (vv. 34-37).

2.     Holy anger over the enemy’s intimidation, and willingness to prove God (vv. 26, 32).

3.     Cutting off vision detractors: He refused discouragement from Eliab and King Saul (vs.28-33).

4.     Undaunted faith and confidence in God’s power (v.37).

5.     Refusal to copy people’s tactics: David refused King Saul’s armour, but chose his personal tested tools (vv. 38-39).n

6.     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 (vv. 43-47).

7.     Positive confession: David declared that the Lord would give him victory over Goliath (v.37).  

8.     Declaration of the exact desired nature of victory: David boldly declared cutting off Goliath’s head and defeating the Philistine armies (v.46).   

9.     Quest to promote God’s glory: David said that his victory would prove God’s Supremacy (v.47).  

10.  Willingness to utilise available spiritual and physical resources (v. 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.