Jesus, The Way, The Truth and The Life…
Ever feel like you’re facing some awful, taunting, intimidating giants in your life?
And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done to the man who killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
1 Samuel 17:26
Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?
Ever feel like something’s mocking your efforts to believe in and wait on God? Ever feel like it’s ridiculous to try apply God’s Word to everyday living today? Do you wrestle with faith one minute and fear the next. Wrestle with keeping the faith?
Do you have any uncircumcised Philistines in your life?
Maybe you do and you don’t even know it. For the longest time, I didn’t see the ones operating in my life. God showed me to pray so they might be revealed to me and dealt with by the Word and Spirit. Some of mine were/are the lack of money, pride (religious or other), inconsistent job history, hopelessness, worry, anger, resentment, bitterness, depression, unforgiveness, religious pride, shame, fear, insecurity, unrealized goals and dreams, unmet expectations, annoying health issues, self-pity.
Maybe you’re being bothered by immorality or addiction. Whatever…
These can all be idols if we have them in front of the Lord in our life. God wants us free from all idols because they keep us in bondage.
Anything in our lives that tries to get us to question God’s love for us is just like the evil spirit that was in Goliath. It’s all lies and if you counter the lies with God’s truth and learn to stand on His truth while He deals with the liars, you will have and see the victory in any area the “Philistine” has tried to occupy in your life.
Now, for the rest of the story about David and Goliath…
32 “Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
33 “Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.”
34 But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, 35 I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. 36 I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! 37 The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”
Saul finally consented. “All right, go ahead,” he said. “And may the Lord be with you!”
38 Then Saul gave David his own armor—a bronze helmet and a coat of mail. 39 David put it on, strapped the sword over it, and took a step or two to see what it was like, for he had never worn such things before.
“I can’t go in these,” he protested to Saul. “I’m not used to them.” So David took them off again. 40 He picked up five smooth stones from a stream and put them into his shepherd’s bag. Then, armed only with his shepherd’s staff and sling, he started across the valley to fight the Philistine.
41 Goliath walked out toward David with his shield bearer ahead of him, 42 sneering in contempt at this ruddy-faced boy. 43 “Am I a dog,” he roared at David, “that you come at me with a stick?” And he cursed David by the names of his gods. 44 “Come over here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and wild animals!” Goliath yelled.
45 David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! 47 And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”
48 As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. 49 Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. 51 Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.
Israel Routs the Philistines
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they turned and ran. 52 Then the men of Israel and Judah gave a great shout of triumph and rushed after the Philistines, chasing them as far as Gath[g] and the gates of Ekron. The bodies of the dead and wounded Philistines were strewn all along the road from Shaaraim, as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the Israelite army returned and plundered the deserted Philistine camp. 54 (David took the Philistine’s head to Jerusalem, but he stored the man’s armor in his own tent.)
55 As Saul watched David go out to fight the Philistine, he asked Abner, the commander of his army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”
“I really don’t know,” Abner declared.
56 “Well, find out who he is!” the king told him.
57 As soon as David returned from killing Goliath, Abner brought him to Saul with the Philistine’s head still in his hand. 58 “Tell me about your father, young man,” Saul said.
And David replied, “His name is Jesse, and we live in Bethlehem.”
1 Samuel 17:32-57
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What has God already brought you through? How has He been faithful to you in the past?
Let it be said of us like it was said of David above. And Mark/Ann replied, “My name is Mark/Ann (put your name in here), and I live in San Marcos (put the name of your city or town here.)
The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”
Praise God!
Have a blessed (Happy) week knowing that, as you choose to follow Jesus everyday, God is revealing and dealing with any uncircumcised Philistines that are lying to you. God will set you free and you’ll be able to hold the head of that thing high to love and encourage others that victory is theirs in the Name of the Lord, The Most High!
God bless,
Mark