Nowhere to run

The story of David and Goliath recorded in 1 Samuel 17 has always fascinated me. It's the ultimate story of the underdog, the little guy taking down the big guy. But for me there's more to this story than just that.

As the situation unfolds you see the army of Israel on one side and the army of the Philistines on the other, both ready to get it on in battle. Suddenly a giant of a man - 9 feet 9 inches tall - steps out from the Philistine side and challenges anyone on the Israeli side to one-on-one combat, winner take all. Apparently once a challenge like this was offered it had to be accepted because neither army budged in either direction until the issue was resolved.

This giant, whose name was Goliath, was called a "champion" (vs.23) so you know he could fight. Goliath came out every morning and night for 39 straight days to challenge anyone in the army of Israel to a fight and no one was willing to step up to fight him. But on the 40th day all of that changed.

David, the soon-to-be king of Israel, stepped forward and saw what no one else saw. He didn't stand before a hulking giant of a man who could crush him with his little finger. Instead, he was facing a man who had insulted and defiled almighty God Himself. That ticked David off and he wasn't going to sit there and let it go (vs.45). David knew that the only way to defeat this enemy was to go straight at him in the power of the Lord.

The army of Israel had nowhere to run. They were trapped in this scenario with an enemy that seemed larger than life. But instead of turning to the Lord for help, they cowered in their tracks and hoped that maybe it was all just a bad dream.

But David knew and did better. I'm sure the sheer size of his opponent brought on just a little bit of anxiety, yet David realized that this battle belonged to God and not just himself. In fact, David's words reveal to each of us that every battle that we face is one that belongs to God. He sought the Lord's hand and direction and God delivered. I wonder how many times God watched this scene unfold wondering when His people were going to turn to Him for help?

Simply put, there are things in our lives that are just too big for us to handle. Whether it's a situation at work or school or home, the enemy can seem overwhelming and powerful. These issues can directly attack our faith, hurling insults at our God Who has saved us. And that's intimidating. We can't run always from our enemies; some of them we must face them head-on with God's help. What are you struggling with today that is defeating you down to your very soul? Shake off your paralysis and lift it up to God, trusting Him to deliver you instead of you trying to fix it all by yourself. Don't let your adversaries get away with thumbing their noses at God.