~Who Do You Fight For?~

~S~

"A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over 9 feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels, on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver's rod, and it's iron point weighed six hundred shekels. His shield bearer went ahead of him." 1 Samuel 17:4-7

~O~

So here is Saul's army being heckled by Goliath for 40 straight days and nights for someone to come out and fight to their death. Anyone who was willing, he wanted to fight him to see who's people were going to be serving who in the end. King Saul who was the tallest man in his entire army and the only one worth going against Goliath, but he was just as scared as his soldiers. He began to proposition them with great wealth among other things for whomever would try to fight Goliath. Of course David happened to have been there just as Goliath came out that last morning. David, knowing God had been with him twice before, was unafraid and ready to go against Goliath because he defied the armies of the living God. Since he was just a teenager, King Saul told him he couldn't do it. David plead his case and King Saul helped him into his armor.

I can see David now... A young teenage boy in a man's armor headed to fight Goliath. Crazy thing is, he refused the armor because he couldn't move around in it! So, showing up with his staff in his hand and 5 smooth rocks in his pouch with his sling in his other hand he approached the Philistine. Goliath took a look at him, laughed and told him how he would kill him.

David replied to him, "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 hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves, for the battle is the Lord's and he will give all of you into our hands."

~A~

I can't help but love this story because it is true even today. Goliath for me hasn't been some ginormous person with heavy armor that would squish me like a bug if it touched me. It isn't necessarily something that is living and breathing like it was for David. Goliath for me is certain relationships. Fears. Battles. Mountains. Just as David was inquiring about this fight, his brothers and King Saul tried to convince Goliath was much bigger than him. He wasn't a soldier, he was just a boy. Sometimes taking a stand for what is right, what you believe in isn't always the popular choice. People mock you and make fun of you. The great thing is when you're led by God, there is NOTHING you can't accomplish. Life's trials are there for reasons. To build our faith in Him. I see myself as hard headed.... I have needed EVERY trial in my life to be brought back to God's hands. I have learned that I am nothing without God in my life and I need to stop intervening with my thoughts and desires and opinion. God knows what's best for me. I just have to follow.

~P~

Lord, when I begin to face trials in my life, I pray that I remain focused on you. That I don't see what others see, to become afraid and fall short of Your glory. No matter what type of Goliath I encounter, they are nothing to You, for You are bigger than them. Help me to remember when I seem to lose focus, and bring me back to you. In Your name I pray, AMEN.