“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.”
1 Samuel 17:45 (NIV)
Using a slingshot was one of David’s natural gifts, but it required a supernatural gift of faith and courage to boldly approach the Philistine giant, Goliath. David refused to wear heavy armor or to even carry a spear. He walked up to Goliath with a few stones and a slingshot, all because he believed in a God who was on the side of his chosen people. Most of the Israelites were terrified of Goliath, but in David, God saw someone who had more faith than fear. There are many giants in the world today, and many things to fear, but God is looking for some Davids, who believe they are a part of something bigger. In spite of our failures, fears and insecurities, we can rise to become giant slayers. We are a part of the church of Christ, and He said that nothing will prevail against His church. We may not have warrior skills or fancy weapons, but like David, we stand in the name of the Lord Almighty, who we now know is Jesus, and He leads us to victory. David never saw himself as a chosen person, but as a part of the chosen people, and there’s a difference. His courage to face that giant came from knowing he was a part of God’s chosen people. His motive to defeat Goliath was not to bring honor to himself, but to bring honor and praise to the God of his people. We are the people of God, and we also walk in faith, not fear. We are a part of the church of Jesus Christ. We may stumble and fall, but we will rise up again. David had some serious moral downfalls in his lifetime, but he was also sensitive enough to receive correction and repent of his sin. Whenever he fell, he rose again after every downfall. Just like David, we know who we are in Christ, and when we fail, the mercy of Jesus draws us back to our place in His church. With courage we face every giant in Jesus’ name, because we trust His authority and power. We are a church full of Davids, flawed, but forever rising again and slaying every giant for the glory of God.