How to Defeat a Giant

 “It is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s.”
– 1 Samuel 17:47

We all love the story of David and Goliath. A teenage shepherd boy stands toe-to-toe with a 10-foot giant and gives him a knock-out punch with just a sling and a stone. It’s a great story! But remember, it’s not just a children’s story. It’s God’s Word, it’s historical fact, and it holds just as much spiritual truth for adults.

 

From the outside, David didn’t look like the most likely hero for this tale. But he was singled out months earlier. During King Saul’s reign, God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint the next king of Israel—a “man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14). God sent His priest, Samuel, to the family of Jesse, who had eight sons. One by one Samuel considered Jesse’s sons … and under God’s instructions, he anointed the youngest son, David, to be the future king.

 

David was still just a shepherd boy, too young to even go to war, when the Philistine giant Goliath threw down the gauntlet—daring ANY Israelite soldier to face him, “mano y mano.” Disgusted by Goliath’s jeers, David vowed to defeat Goliath “because he has defied the armies of the living God. 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.” And just as David prophesied, the LORD handed Goliath over to David. With God’s help, David struck him down with a sling and a stone, and everyone on the battlefield knew that there is a God in Israel who doesn’t save by sword or spear, because the battle … is … the Lord’s (1 Samuel 17:47).  

 

Here are three Life Lessons we can learn from this famous showdown:

 

Life Lesson #1: When we are unfaithful to God, our enemy gets a foothold in our lives. The only reason the Philistine army was on Israelite soil in the first place was because Israel and her leaders, especially King Saul, had been unfaithful to God. The same is true in our lives. When we sin and are unfaithful to God, we open the door for Satan to get a foothold in our lives.

 

Life Lesson #2: Whenever you step out in faith to fight a battle for Jesus, there will always be someone on hand to discourage you—and it will often be someone in your own family. David’s own brothers didn’t believe in him, even though they had seen David get anointed. And David’s situation wasn’t unusual. Joseph’s brothers didn’t believe in him. And at one point, even Jesus’ half-brothers thought he’d gone insane. So, be encouraged. If God’s Spirit leads you into battle and clearly confirms that He's leading through the Word of God, step out in faith and fight the battle, in spite of the naysayers around you.

 

Life Lesson #3: Trusting God on the battlefield isn’t complicated; it’s just hard if you’re forgetful, distracted or self-absorbed. David remembered the times that God had saved him in the past, when he was attacked by a lion and a bear. David wasn’t distracted by Goliath’s size or the discouraging comments from wet blankets around him. And David took his eyes off himself and focused on His great and awesome God, Who was his Defender and Shield.

 

Trusting God isn’t complicated. It’s not even that hard when you remember God’s faithfulness. Just fix keep your focus on Jesus Christ and on the marching orders He’s given you. 

Dane Davis is the pastor of Impact Christian Church in Victorville. Join us at Impact for Sunday services: in person at 9 a.m., or online at 10 a.m. on YouTube or Facebook. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.

Are You a Base-Model Christian?

“For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation he fell asleep.” - Acts 13:36

I heard a story about a dairy farmer who went to buy a new pickup truck. He had seen an ad in the paper for a great deal on a new truck, so he decided to trade in his old clunker. He went to the dealership, chose a pickup and was ready to write the check for the full amount. But the salesman said, “Wait, I haven’t given you the final price yet.” The farmer asked, “Isn’t it the price I saw in the paper?” The salesman said, “No, that’s for the base model. All the options cost extra.” So, after the options were added, the farmer reluctantly wrote a check for $2,000 more than he had planned to pay, and he drove off the lot in his new pick-up.

A few months later the car salesman called the farmer because he wanted to buy a cow for his son’s 4-H project. The farmer assured the car salesman he had several good milk cows for sale for $500. The salesman drove out, selected a cow and took out his checkbook. The farmer said, “Wait. I haven’t given you the final price yet.” Then he handed the salesman a bill that read: “Basic cow, $500. Two-tone exterior, $45. Milk storage compartment, $60. Four handy spigots at $10 each, $40. Leather upholstery, $125. Automatic rear fly swatter, $38. Natural fertilizer attachment, $185. Grand total … $1,233.”

Now, I’ve never purchased a cow, but because I’m a bit of a cheapskate, I’m pretty sure I’d go for the base model. When I buy a car, I LIKE the base model … as long as it has air conditioning. If the car has four tires, an engine and a steering wheel, the base model is just fine. But when it comes to living the Christian life, the base model will never be “just fine.”

On Paul’s first missionary trip, he went into the Jewish synagogue in Pisidian Antioch to preach a powerful message about Jesus. In this message, Paul mentioned one of the greatest heroes of the Old Testament: King David, the only man in the Bible to be called “a man after God’s own heart.” David had a fierce love for God and served Him faithfully. And then, in Paul’s words, “when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation he fell asleep” (Acts 13:36).

Paul was making the point that God had a plan for David’s life. God gave him a clear purpose to carry out in his own generation. And David carried it out. David served God’s purpose in his own generation. God called David to slay Goliath, so David obediently slew Goliath. God called David to serve in King Saul’s court, so David obediently served in King Saul’s court. God called David to lead Israel in her battles and lead the people to follow God. So David obediently led Israel in her battles and led them to follow God.

Isn’t that good? In a day and age when most people were pretty much living for themselves, David was the servant of his generation. Could the same be said about you and me? The Bible makes it clear that everything in this vast universe of ours was created by God. He created every bug, every fish, every bird, every animal and every person—including you. The Bible is clear that God created you and designed you just the way you are. He knit you together in your mother’s womb. Your eye color and hair color are by design. Your height and your build are by design. Your natural strengths and even your natural weaknesses are by design.

So, are we living the lives God designed us for? In a day and age when most people are pretty much living for themselves, are we, like David, a great blessing to the age we live in? Are we servants of our generation? Matthew Henry reminds us, “We were not born for ourselves, but are members of communities, to which we must study to be serviceable.” And as devotional writer A.W. Tozer says, “David was smart enough to serve God and his generation before he fell asleep [ie, “died”]. To fall asleep before we have served our generation is nothing short of tragic…. It is a moral calamity to sleep without having first labored to bless the world.”

So true! But what is that purpose? At Impact Christian Church, we summarize God’s purpose with the shortest mission statement I’ve ever seen. It’s only three words: Love. Learn. Serve. Every Sunday morning, we seek to love God by loving people. Our greatest desire is to see every person who comes through our doors accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and begin loving him too. Our second focus is to learn God’s word. As we study His word, we get to know Him better, and we learn how to love and serve Him better. Our third purpose is serving. Just as David was created to serve God’s purpose in his own generation, so too are we. Jesus didn’t come to earth to be served, but to serve. And we follow in his footsteps as we serve each other and our community.  

My life has meaning and purpose, and so does yours. So, we must boldly stand and declare, “I will NOT waste my life!” You and I were created not to be served but to serve, and to serve God’s purpose in our own generation. I do not believe that anyone was created by God for base-model Christianity. I believe you and I were created for greater impact. And that boils down to this: Loving God by loving people … learning His Word … and serving others. If you don’t already have a church home, then I’d love to invite you to start joining us every Sunday. And we’ll serve God’s purpose in our generation—together.

Dane Davis is the Pastor of Impact Christian Church. Come join us Sunday at 10 a.m. at the new Ralph Baker School in Victorville. For more information, visit www.GreaterImpact.cc.