Do you recall the story of David and Goliath? (1 Samuel 17:1-57) It's a very popular chapter that starts with the Philistines and Israelites about to battle in the Valley of Elah. To prevent great bloodshed and to avoid the high cost of a battle, the fighting armies pit their strongest warrior against each other. For the Philistines, Goliath was naturally their chosen representative. He was huge. This giant was nearly ten feet tall. His armor and weapons were made out of bronze, so you can imagine how heavy they were and how strong he had to have been.
"Goliath stood and shouted a taunt across to the Israelites. "Why are you all coming out to fight?" he called. "I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul. Choose one man to come down here and fight me! If he kills me, then we will be your slaves. But if I kill him, you will be our slaves! I defy the armies of Israel today! Send me a man who will fight me!" When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken." ~1 Samuel 16: 8-11 (MSG)
"Jesse's three oldest sons had followed Saul to war. The names of the three sons who had joined up with Saul were Eliab, the firstborn; next, Abinadab; and third, Shammah. David was the youngest son. While his three oldest brothers went to war with Saul, David went back and forth from attending to Saul to tending his father's sheep in Bethlehem.
Each morning and evening for forty days, Goliath took his stand and made his speech." ~1 Samuel 16: 13-16 (MSG)
God took a bright yellow highlighter over this passage and pointed out how Goliath strutted in front of the Israelites and repeated his ridicule morning and evening for forty days. Can you imagine that? You woke up hearing you were a loser and then fell asleep, confirming you were a failure. If his stature and reputation weren't enough, the daily threats would seal the defeat. Not only do you visually see the loss, but you also hear it. Saul and his army were forced to listen to the abusive remarks nonstop for forty days.
As you recall, David defeats Goliath because of his confidence in our living God and his reverential fear of Him. He doesn't give Goliath's daily rants a chance to settle in. David didn't live at Saul's camp as the army did. He traveled back and forth when directed by his father, so he didn't hear the constant harassment. Plus, he probably experienced enough vexation from his older brothers that he grew a thick skin to ignore the intimidation. To prove the point, David's response to Eliab in verse 29, "What have I done now?" David replied. "I was only asking a question!" And then, finally, when Saul responded in disbelief that David could defeat the giant himself, he recounted testimonies of what God did for him and then declared what God would do for him.
"But David persisted. "I have been taking care of my father's sheep and goats," he said. When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I'll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!" ~ I Samuel 17: 34-37 (NLT)
David was mentally protected from Goliath before physically attacking him. There is a battle for your mind, so we must prepare and guard it. From the time you wake up to when you fall asleep, what do you lend your eyes and ears permission to perceive? We have to be very selective about who and what we allow into our process. Who do we listen to? What do we watch? From entertainment, news, music, and social media to friends and family, we must be conscientious of our mental space.
I cannot stress this enough, but if you have children, guard their eyes and ears gates. Check their phones, conversations, and apps and listen to what they are talking about with their peers. Have open and honest conversations with your children, so they know the difference between truth versus the lies our culture is feeding them. The enemy is after our young people, and we have to protect their generation.
"Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways." ~Psalm 119:37 (ESV)
The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), which is precisely what Goliath was doing. He destroyed the Israelites' confidence by intimidating them day and night. I suspect the enemy is after our confidence also. He's trying to make us doubt who we are and disqualify what we're capable of. Like David, we must remember we're part of the armies of the living God. And recall as often as we must what God has done for us and what we will overcome through Him. Friends, regain your confidence and live out what God has designed you to do.
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