It is a strange thing when a Christian goes from trusting God for salvation and begins to look to his own strength or abilities in daily decisions. David provides a compelling example of this in 1 Samuel 17. God's assessment of David was he was a man after God's own heart, but even he was prone to lean on his own understanding. His life provides a compelling illustration of what is common to all men - even godly ones. Just because we have trusted God in the past doesn't mean we are trusting Him today.
When David was a young man he was sent by his dad on an errand to the front lines of battle where a few of his brothers were. He was shocked when Goliath the champion of Gath stood before the army of Israel and defied and cursed them by his gods. David wasn't awed by the imposing size or the verbal threats of the giant, but was incredulous Goliath was permitted to reproach the armies of the living God whilst the men of Israel hid in fear. News of David’s willingness to fight Goliath reached King Saul’s ears and he summoned David. Saul said, “You can’t fight him. You’re just a youth and he’s been a warrior from youth.” David pointed out God had delivered him from the paw of the lion and the bear and God would help him defeat the Philistine also.
Saul finally agreed to allow David to face Goliath, but wanted to outfit him with armour and his own sword. Being unaccustomed to the encumbrance of armour and unskilled with a sword, David politely declined using them. He was content to trust God and fight Goliath with a sling and a handful of smooth stones which he gathered from a brook on the way to face Goliath in a battle to the death. He came before the scoffing Philistine warrior in the name of the God of Israel, and God wrought a great victory.
Years later and then son-in-law to the king, David found himself only a step between him and death because King Saul sought to murder him. As he fled for his life, 1 Samuel 21 details an incident when he dropped by the Tabernacle in Nob. He and his men were hungry and desperate for food and supplies. The chief priest Ahimelech was cautious but willing to help David, and provided him bread from the Table of Showbread for he and his men. Read what 1 Samuel 21:8-9 says: "And David said to Ahimelech, "Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste." 9 So the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."
Isn’t this ironic? David trusted God to deliver him from lions and Goliath, but having fought many battles since the victory over Goliath it appears he had grown accustomed to using a spear, sword, and other weapons. Notice he said, "I have brother neither my sword nor my weapons with me." Do you find it odd David demanded the sword which was not able to save Goliath? What had changed? Was King Saul a more terrifying foe than Goliath? God had not changed, but in that stressful moment David's perspective had. It seems it was easier to trust God when facing Philistines than when the attacks came from his own king and kin.
My point is not to second guess David’s choices, but to contrast how he faced conflict in these two instances. Facing a Philistine in his youth David was fine to trust God, but having become a skilled warrior when threatened David felt he needed a sword. In the end it turned out he didn’t need the sword because God delivered David. God was patient and faithful to David, and He is also patient and faithful to us when we forget to trust Him. Believer, have you started trusting yourself more than God? Success and popularity can cause us to look to ourselves instead of seeking and simply trusting the LORD. We trusted God to help, protect, provide, and guide us at the start of our walk with Jesus, and we need to keep trusting Him today.
When David was a young man he was sent by his dad on an errand to the front lines of battle where a few of his brothers were. He was shocked when Goliath the champion of Gath stood before the army of Israel and defied and cursed them by his gods. David wasn't awed by the imposing size or the verbal threats of the giant, but was incredulous Goliath was permitted to reproach the armies of the living God whilst the men of Israel hid in fear. News of David’s willingness to fight Goliath reached King Saul’s ears and he summoned David. Saul said, “You can’t fight him. You’re just a youth and he’s been a warrior from youth.” David pointed out God had delivered him from the paw of the lion and the bear and God would help him defeat the Philistine also.
Saul finally agreed to allow David to face Goliath, but wanted to outfit him with armour and his own sword. Being unaccustomed to the encumbrance of armour and unskilled with a sword, David politely declined using them. He was content to trust God and fight Goliath with a sling and a handful of smooth stones which he gathered from a brook on the way to face Goliath in a battle to the death. He came before the scoffing Philistine warrior in the name of the God of Israel, and God wrought a great victory.
Years later and then son-in-law to the king, David found himself only a step between him and death because King Saul sought to murder him. As he fled for his life, 1 Samuel 21 details an incident when he dropped by the Tabernacle in Nob. He and his men were hungry and desperate for food and supplies. The chief priest Ahimelech was cautious but willing to help David, and provided him bread from the Table of Showbread for he and his men. Read what 1 Samuel 21:8-9 says: "And David said to Ahimelech, "Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste." 9 So the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."
Isn’t this ironic? David trusted God to deliver him from lions and Goliath, but having fought many battles since the victory over Goliath it appears he had grown accustomed to using a spear, sword, and other weapons. Notice he said, "I have brother neither my sword nor my weapons with me." Do you find it odd David demanded the sword which was not able to save Goliath? What had changed? Was King Saul a more terrifying foe than Goliath? God had not changed, but in that stressful moment David's perspective had. It seems it was easier to trust God when facing Philistines than when the attacks came from his own king and kin.
My point is not to second guess David’s choices, but to contrast how he faced conflict in these two instances. Facing a Philistine in his youth David was fine to trust God, but having become a skilled warrior when threatened David felt he needed a sword. In the end it turned out he didn’t need the sword because God delivered David. God was patient and faithful to David, and He is also patient and faithful to us when we forget to trust Him. Believer, have you started trusting yourself more than God? Success and popularity can cause us to look to ourselves instead of seeking and simply trusting the LORD. We trusted God to help, protect, provide, and guide us at the start of our walk with Jesus, and we need to keep trusting Him today.
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