Lessons from David | The Same God

"Your servant has been tending his father's sheep," David answered Saul. "Whenever a lion or bear came and carried off one of the flock, I would go after it, strike it, and rescue the animal from its mouth. If it turned on me, I would grab it at its jaw, strike it, and kill it. Your servant has fought both lions and bears. This uncircumcised Philistine will be just like one of them because he has insulted the army of the living God." David added, "The Lord, who rescued me from the power of both lions and bears, will rescue me from the power of this Philistine."

1 Samuel 17:34-37 (CEB)

When King Saul tells David he's too young and inexperienced to fight Goliath, David doesn't argue with that assessment. He doesn't claim to be some kind of warrior prodigy. Instead, David points to his past. "I've fought lions. I've fought bears. God rescued me then. God will rescue me now."

Notice what David's doing here: He's not basing his confidence on his own abilities. He's basing it on God's track record. He's remembering how God showed up before, and he's trusting that God will show up again.

And that's exactly what we need to do when we're facing giants. We need to remember how God has shown up before. 

So here's the question: What are your lions and bears? What are the past dangers you've faced where God came through for you? Maybe it was a health crisis that you didn't think you'd survive, but God brought you through. Maybe it was a financial disaster that seemed impossible to overcome, but somehow you made it. Maybe it was a dark season of depression where you couldn't see any hope, but God sustained you. Maybe it was a relationship that was falling apart, but God helped you rebuild.

Whatever your lions and bears are, they matter. Not just as memories, but as evidence. Evidence that God is faithful. Evidence that God shows up in danger. Evidence that God can be trusted with the giant you're facing right now.

But here's our problem: We forget. When we're facing a new giant, we somehow forget about all the times God rescued us before. We act like this is the first time we've ever faced something scary, like God has never shown up for us before.

And I think we forget because the current giant feels different. It feels bigger. It feels more serious. It feels more overwhelming than anything we've faced before.

But you know what? The bear David fought probably felt pretty overwhelming when he was facing it. The lion probably seemed impossible to defeat when it was carrying off one of his sheep. And yet, God showed up. God gave David the strength to rescue his sheep. God delivered him.

And the same God who delivered David from lions and bears, the same God who delivered you from past dangers, is the same God who's with you now.

This is why remembering matters. Not because dwelling on the past changes the present, but because remembering God's faithfulness builds our confidence to face what's ahead.

When David remembered fighting lions and bears, he wasn't minimizing Goliath. He wasn't pretending the giant wasn't dangerous. He was simply saying, "God has shown up before. God will show up again."

And that's what we need to say too. When we remember how God delivered us before, we're not ignoring the current danger. We're building our confidence that God can deliver us again.

So take some time today to remember your lions and bears. Think back over your life and identify times when God showed up when you needed him. Times when you faced something that felt impossible and God brought you through. Times when you didn't think you could make it and God sustained you.

Write them down if you need to. Tell someone about them. Thank God for them. Because those memories aren't just history, they're also evidence. Evidence that God is faithful. Evidence that God shows up in danger. Evidence that you can trust God with the giant you're facing today.

Prayer

God, help me to remember. When I'm facing this giant and feeling overwhelmed, help me to remember the times you've shown up before. Help me to remember the past dangers you've delivered me from. Thank you for your faithfulness then. Thank you for showing up when I needed you. And help me to trust that the same God who rescued me before will rescue me again. My confidence isn't in my own strength, it's in your track record of faithfulness. Help me to remember that today. Amen.