The God Who Saves: David and Goliath
FCCA Women ❤️ SUNDAY devotion
ice
2/14/20264 min read
1 Samuel 17:41-47
45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel,
47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
David and Goliath
When we hear the story of David and Goliath, we often think about facing our own “giants.” We think about fear, problems, difficult circumstances, and the things that seem too big for us. But as we look closely at David's words, there is something even more important for us to see.
David was not focused on how strong he was. He was focused on who God is.
David's confidence was not in himself. It was in the LORD. Let's look at what David's words teach us.
1. David trusted in the name of the LORD.
David said: “I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.”
Notice where David placed his confidence. He did not say, “I come because I am strong.” He did not say, “I come because I know I can win.”
He came in the name of the LORD.
Goliath came with a sword, spear, and javelin. David came trusting in the LORD. When we face something difficult, where does our confidence go first? Do we immediately look at our own strength? Do we think about what we can do? Or do we first remember who our God is? David's confidence began with God.
2. David trusted that the LORD would deliver.
David said: “This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand.”
David knew that he had to face Goliath, but he also knew that the outcome was in God's hands. There is something beautiful about David's confidence here. He was willing to step forward, but he did not take credit for the victory.
He trusted that the LORD would deliver.
Sometimes we want to know exactly how everything will work out before we take the next step. But David did not have the whole picture. He simply trusted the LORD.
We can faithfully do what is before us while remembering that God is the One who controls the outcome.
3. Remember that the LORD saves.
David said: “The LORD saves not with sword and spear.”
This is such an important statement. David wanted everyone to understand that Israel's victory would not come from human strength. It would not be because they had better weapons. It would not be because David was stronger than Goliath.
The LORD saves.
This reminds us where our hope should be. Our hope is not in how capable we are. Our hope is not in having everything figured out. Our hope is in the LORD. Sometimes God allows us to come to the place where we realize that we cannot do something in our own strength. And perhaps that is where we need to be reminded:
The LORD saves.
4. God wants His name to be known.
David said: “That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
David was not trying to make himself look impressive. He wanted people to know that there is a God in Israel. The victory had a greater purpose than David himself. It was about God being known. This gives us something to think about in our own lives.
When God helps us through something, who gets the glory?
When God answers a prayer, who do we point people toward?
When God gives us strength, who do we give credit to?
David's words remind us that our lives should ultimately point people to God.
5. The battle is the LORD's.
Finally, David said: “For the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
This is the heart of the passage. David would stand before Goliath. David would act. David would fight. But David knew that the battle belonged to the LORD. We can have the same perspective. There are things we are responsible to do.
We pray.
We obey.
We serve.
We remain faithful.
But we do not have to carry the weight of controlling everything. The battle is the LORD's. We can trust Him with what we cannot control.
REFLECTION QUESTION:
What “battle” are you facing right now that you need to surrender to the LORD?
CONCLUSION:
When something in front of us feels bigger than we are, let's remember David's words.
“I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts.”
Our confidence is in God.
“The LORD will deliver.”
The outcome is in His hands.
“The LORD saves.”
Our hope is in Him.
“That all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
Our lives should point people to Him.
“For the battle is the LORD’s.”
We can trust Him with the battle.
So, when you face something that feels too big, don't begin by asking:
“Am I strong enough?”
Instead, remember:
Who is my God?
He is the LORD of hosts.
And whatever battle we may face, we can stand with the confidence David had:
The battle is the LORD's.