The Battle is the Lord’s

[newchapterx2]

During my devotions one morning in March of 2005, I was reading in 1 Samuel about David facing and killing the giant, Goliath. I always get a thrill when I get to the part where David tells Goliath, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”1Samuel 17:45-47

Once more as I read these passages, I was in awe. But then the Lord began to show me some other things:

1. David did not just show up there on his own. King Saul had lost God’s anointing, so God spoke to Samuel giving him instructions on where to find the one He had chosen to replace Saul. 1 Samuel 16:1-23 Because of circumstances pre-arranged by God, and out of obedience to his father, Jesse, David came to be in the place where he was to face the giant philistine. 1 Samuel 17:12-20

2. David did not just suddenly have the tremendous faith to face this impossible situation. When Saul tried to talk him out of going up against Goliath, David sited to him earlier tests of faith, …”Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God…The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1Samuel 17:34-37 God had built his faith over time until he was ready to receive the faith from God it would take to face the giant and slay him.

3. He went to battle with only the weapons that God provided. When Saul put his own armor and helmet on David, he couldn’t even walk under the weight of it; it was so heavy, oversized and cumbersome. 1 Samuel 17:38-40. How many times have we gone forward in obedience to something God has told us to do, only to take our own man-made weapons with us (perhaps our own will and impatience, deciding on our own what the results should be), and then wonder why the result lacks power. We are then surprised that the Lord has not been glorified in the way He originally intended. David would have been mowed down immediately if he had kept the borrowed armor. God’s armor was all he needed.

4. David’s heart was right before God – “For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1Samuel 16:7. I don’t know about you, but I am so grateful for God’s mercy and grace. That He looks at my heart and not my outward appearance, gives me such hope. Because I know that He can and will change my heart. I can’t do it, I can only offer up myself as a living sacrifice, and He does the rest. Praise God!

So this boy, who was not mighty in physical strength, but mighty through his God, brought down Goliath, with one stroke of a sling. We often forget that the “battle is the Lord’s”. If we go into that battle with the same weapons David used – obedience, humility and trust, we too can bring down giants by the power of the Lord God Almighty.

Edited March 9, 2013 by newchapterx2

[Guest man]

During my devotions one morning in March of 2005, I was reading in 1 Samuel about David facing and killing the giant, Goliath. I always get a thrill when I get to the part where David tells Goliath, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you…Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will give you into our hands.”1Samuel 17:45-47

Once more as I read these passages, I was in awe. But then the Lord began to show me some other things:

1. David did not just show up there on his own. King Saul had lost God’s anointing, so God spoke to Samuel giving him instructions on where to find the one He had chosen to replace Saul. 1 Samuel 16:1-23 Because of circumstances pre-arranged by God, and out of obedience to his father, Jesse, David came to be in the place where he was to face the giant philistine. 1 Samuel 17:12-20

2. David did not just suddenly have the tremendous faith to face this impossible situation. When Saul tried to talk him out of going up against Goliath, David sited to him earlier tests of faith, …”Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God…The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” 1Samuel 17:34-37 God had built his faith over time until he was ready to receive the faith from God it would take to face the giant and slay him.

3. He went to battle with only the weapons that God provided. When Saul put his own armor and helmet on David, he couldn’t even walk under the weight of it; it was so heavy, oversized and cumbersome. 1 Samuel 17:38-40. How many times have we gone forward in obedience to something God has told us to do, only to take our own man-made weapons with us (perhaps our own will and impatience, deciding on our own what the results should be), and then wonder why the result lacks power. We are then surprised that the Lord has not been glorified in the way He originally intended. David would have been mowed down immediately if he had kept the borrowed armor. God’s armor was all he needed.

4. David’s heart was right before God – “For the Lord does not see as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1Samuel 16:7. I don’t know about you, but I am so grateful for God’s mercy and grace. That He looks at my heart and not my outward appearance, gives me such hope. Because I know that He can and will change my heart. I can’t do it, I can only offer up myself as a living sacrifice, and He does the rest. Praise God!

So this boy, who was not mighty in physical strength, but mighty through his God, brought down Goliath, with one stroke of a sling. We often forget that the “battle is the Lord’s”. If we go into that battle with the same weapons David used – obedience, humility and trust, we too can bring down giants by the power of the Lord God Almighty.

What do you think?

I almost didn't read this.............that would have been a mistake.

Good post.

[InHisTime77]

If we go into that battle with the same weapons David used – obedience, humility and trust, we too can bring down giants by the power of the Lord God Almighty.

Amen to this!

[joi]

Great post newchapter