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. -1 Samuel 17:47
Goliath is, in every estimation, the incarnation of fear and intimidation. He towers over us and casts a shadow of hopelessness and despair that envelops us. It is clear that there is no beating him…it would be better to give up and go home.
Goliath represents…impossibility before you. He is the gulf between you and the dreams and desires the Lord has placed in your heart.
And the only way to victory over impossibility is by acknowledging and knowing in your heart that God is greater than any Goliath. Nothing is impossible to the Lord. After all, He made heaven and earth, but He made Goliath, too!
The above verse comes from David’s proclamation to Goliath of Gath, who stood over nine feet tall, and was strong enough to be clad in heavy battle armor and wield weaponry. There were none in Israel who would face him, including King Saul, and Goliath taunted the nation for 40 days. Irritated, David said he would face Goliath. And when it came time to suit up, David eschewed proper battle armor and weaponry, opting to go with what he knew: his own simple clothes, his staff, a pouch of five smooth river stones, and a sling.
Why take an approach that seemed to be insanity? Because he truly believed in the Lord, who had delivered him from evil before, and he knew the Lord would again. He knew the path to victory wasn’t in what the world said was impossible, but the path of the Lord. So, this little shepherd boy came before Goliath, a Philistine combat trained since boyhood, who taunted him.
David said to the Philistine, “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 deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, 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.” -1 Samuel 17:45-47
David saw through Goliath to victory on the other side. He saw God and God’s victory on the other side. Goliath was just a man, but with more meat and bones than average men. None of that is of any comparison to the infinite power of the Lord.
As with David, the Lord has delivered you from the hands of defeat when there seemed to be no way. And the Lord has done this over and over throughout His Word. So why doubt Him now?
The secret weapon of all agents of light (believers) against a world of Goliaths is relationship with God. That relationship is what gives us sight beyond unbelieving sight. Strength when we have every reason to be weak. Foundational joy when there is no happiness to be found.
If God so loved the world that He would secure our salvation and victory over death through sacrificing His own Son—an impossibility to unbelievers—then you know that the towering impossibility before you is an illusion…a lie. It is, in believers’ eyes, cut down to size. Manageable. Even inconsequential. Even nonexistent.
Against the lie, fight prayerfully and listen closely, and the voice of truth will tell you a different story: Through the eyes of unwavering faith, victory is already won. As the Casting Crowns song “Voice of Truth” goes, the voice of truth tells us do not be afraid, for toppling this Goliath before us is for His glory.
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