Dare to be a David

"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."- 1 Samuel 17:50

"We took on Goliath!" advertises a small business whose product is overshadowed by a major manufacturer. The David versus Goliath syndrome means the little guy goes against the giant, hoping to win. There are times, however, when the little guy goes against the big one and gets flattened like a stray cat in the path of a steamroller. But what’s the real story behind the confrontation of David with Goliath long ago?

To the west of Jerusalem lie the gentle rolling hills between the coastal area and the Jordan valley. On these, long ago, two armies were gathered who were bitter enemies. The Philistines, a fierce and savage people, wanted to drive out the Israelites. Instead of wasting a considerable number of men in battle, the Philistines sent out a giant who would have made Magic Johnson look like a midget–well, almost a midget. Goliath never played basketball, but a slam-dunk for him would have been an underarm shot. According to the record he was at least nine feet tall.

If you know the story, you remember that a lad who had taken a break from caring for his father’s sheep brought provisions to his brothers in the Israelite army. When David saw the giant and observed that the men who were defenders of Israel cowered in the safety of their camp, preferring the insults of the enemy to doing battle, he cried out, "Is there not a cause?" (nkjv) And David took the battle to the enemy and won!

David’s remarkable feat was marked by four qualities, ones that we desperately need today. Focus on these four qualities:

Quality #1. Competence David has spent hours in sling-shot practice while a shepherd. He had experience knocking down bears and lions who attacked the sheep.

Quality #2. Courage Others, no doubt, trusted the Lord but preferred to stay in the shade and pray. David had the guts to go for it. Real heroes are not individuals with super-human courage but simply people who are confronted with a situation demanding action and then do what has to be done.

Quality #3. Commitment This was not really his fight. He wasn’t even a soldier, but his love for country and for God demanded he get into the battle. Too many of us are willing to watch. Edmund Bruke once said, "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."

Quality #4. Confrontation Hand-to-hand combat was necessary. Going one-on-one with the enemy, whether he is a teacher who is tough or a government official who is corrupt, is never pleasant; but if there is no confrontation, evil is sure to triumph.

A final thought: David learned that one plus God is always a majority, no matter how big the enemy–something every generation must also learn. - Resource Reading: 1 Samuel 17