Reading
- 1 Sam. 16:1-17:58
Devotional
GOD told Samuel to stop crying over Saul because GOD had chosen a new king for Israel. GOD sent Samuel to anoint David as king over Israel. David was a handsome young shepherd who was watching over his father Jesse's sheep. When Samuel anointed David, the Holy Spirit came upon David in power. The Holy Spirit had left from Saul and GOD sent an evil spirit which tormented him.
Saul's servants convinced him to have someone come play the harp when he was troubled by the evil spirit. David was chosen and when he played the harp the evil spirit would depart from Saul and he would feel better.
The Philistines and Israelites lined up for another battle with each camp occupying opposite hills. Then Goliath, the champion warrior of the Philistines, came out and taunted the Israelites. Goliath was nine feet tall and he had a bronze helmet, a coat of mail which weighed 125 pounds, bronze armor on his legs and a spear between his shoulders.
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. 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.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.
(1 Sam. 17:8-11 NKJV)
This went on for forty days in a row. David's father sent him to check on the war and on his three older brothers who were serving in Saul's army. When David arrived he asked what was going on. As David was talking with the soldiers Goliath came up with his daily taunts.
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?”
(1 Sam. 17:26 NKJV)
David's oldest brother rebuked him, accusing him of just wanting to see what was happening with the battle. David volunteered to go fight Goliath, so they took him to Saul. At first Saul refused to let David go because he feared David would get slaughtered at the hands of this experienced warrior.
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, 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. 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.” 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.”
(1 Sam. 17:34-37 NKJV)
So David went out and, with one stone and a sling, he killed Goliath. Whereas all the other soldiers were so afraid that they hid every time Goliath came out to challenge Israel, David had courage and approached his enemy with the most powerful weapon that exists—faith in the name of Jehovah GOD! In life there are certain causes that require fighting for. Our battles are not physical but spiritual. Paul wrote to the Corinthian Christians:
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God…
(2 Cor. 10:3-5 NKJV)
