1 Samuel 17: 37, 45-46, "‘The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine' ... David said to the Philistine, ‘You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands.'"

Think

Most of us are familiar with the story of David and Goliath. David, a young shepherd, was the only one in all of Israel brave enough to take on the 9'9 seasoned warrior, Goliath. Surely his heart was beating through his chest as he ran toward the battle line with a stone and slingshot in hand to face-off with the giant. Before the battle could commence, however, David had a few words of his own for the giant who'd been taunting the Israelites for forty days.

Notice in the reading above, David mentions Goliath's three weapons, but he didn't say, "I come against you with a slingshot in hand." No, he said, "I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty." What gave him such courage? David went historical. God had been with him when he killed a lion and a bear, and he knew that God would do the same in this battle. So, with a single stone, David hit Goliath, who fell facedown and died. David trusted in God with the seemingly impossible because he had seen God do the impossible before.

We all face giants. Rather than cowering before them - no matter what they are - the God of heaven's armies goes before us in battle. He gives us everything we need - healing, strength, courage - because He loves us. When we place our trust in God, He blesses our obedience. Today, let's live out the Psalm of David below as we approach God with humility and praise!

Act

Personalize David's words in Psalm 103:1-5 and praise God:
"Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits - who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."

To read the story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, click "Read More" below.

Pray

Almighty Lord, Thank You for always going before me into battle. I put my trust in You, knowing that You are greater than any giant I face. Amen.