Read:
David's situation with Goliath might feel larger than life (no pun intended), but you’ve probably faced a giant or two of your own in life: a diagnosis, a fault line in your marriage, the loss of a job or a rejection from college. No matter what giants you've faced, they all have one thing in common: they reveal what you believe about God.
For the armies of Israel, soldier after solider shrunk back in fear because they believed the situation was hopeless. That they didn’t stand a chance.
From the outside looking in, you’d think David would be the one slinking away in fear—and King Saul, who led the Israelite army, certainly reminded him of this over and over. There’s no way you can win. You’re only a boy.
David may have been young—but after years of his brothers abandoning him to look after their sheep on his own, David learned a thing or two about fighting off beasts. He remembered all the times he had to fight off a lion or a bear to protect the flock, and he understood something crucial: he wasn't capable because of his skill or his strategy, but because God was with him.
God had shown up for David in the past, and that gave David the courage to step into another battle. God’s past faithfulness it fueled David’s present courage. The battle wasn’t his to fight—it was God’s.
When you face a giant, you have two options. You can think about how you are equipped to handle it, realize you can’t, and shrink back in fear. Or, you can look back on the times God showed up for you in the past (even when it seemed impossible) and step forward in confidence while God fights with you and for you.