Lessons from David | What We Do Have

But David told the Philistine, "You are coming against me with sword, spear, and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord of heavenly forces, the God of Israel's army, the one you've insulted. Today the Lord will hand you over to me... And all those gathered here will know that the Lord doesn't save by means of sword and spear. The Lord owns this war, and he will hand all of you over to us."

1 Samuel 17:45-47 (CEB)

We love underdog stories. The scrawny kid who beats the bully. The small-town team that wins the championship. The unknown candidate who wins the election. We love these stories because they give us hope that we, too, can overcome impossible odds.

But what we often miss when it comes to the story of David and Goliath is that David didn’t win this battle through his determination and grit. David won because God was with him.

Look at what David says to Goliath. He doesn't say, "You're coming against me with sword and spear, but I'm really fast and have great aim with this slingshot." He doesn't boast about his own abilities or strategies.

Instead, David says, "You are coming against me with sword, spear, and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the Lord."

That's where David's courage came from. Not from his own strength. Not from his own abilities. But from God's presence. And that's where our courage has to come from too. Because if our courage depends on feeling strong enough, brave enough, or capable enough, we're in trouble. 

Most of the time, we don't feel strong. We don't feel brave. We don't feel capable of handling what we're facing. But courage that comes from God's presence doesn't depend on how we feel. It depends on who God is.

When we're facing giants, we often focus on our limitations. We don't have enough money. We don't have enough time. We don't have enough strength. We don't have enough knowledge. We don't have enough resources.

And all of that might be true. But here's what David teaches us: What we don't have doesn't matter as much as who we have with us. David didn't have armor. He didn't have a sword. He didn't have military training. But he had God. And God was enough.

You might not have everything you need to face your giant. You might not feel equipped. You might not know how this is going to work out. But if you have God, then you have everything that truly matters.

But that’s easy for us to forget. So we wait to feel brave before we face our giants. We wait to feel strong enough, confident enough, ready enough. We wait for the fear to go away.

But that's not how courage works. Courage isn't the absence of fear. Courage is trusting God's presence even when we're terrified.

David wasn't unafraid when he faced Goliath. He just knew that his fear didn't matter as much as God's presence. And that's the kind of courage we need. Not courage that comes from feeling strong, but courage that comes from knowing God is strong. Not courage that comes from confidence in ourselves, but courage that comes from confidence in God.

So here's my challenge for you: Stop waiting to feel brave. Stop waiting until you feel ready. Stop waiting until you have everything figured out.

Instead, take one step toward your giant today. Just one. Not because you feel strong enough, but because God is with you. Not because you have all the answers, but because God knows the way. Not because you're confident you can win, but because you're confident God is fighting for you. That's where courage comes from. Not from within us, but from the God who is with us.

Prayer

God, I don't feel brave. I don't feel strong. I don't feel ready to face this giant. But David teaches me that my courage doesn't have to come from my own strength, it comes from your presence. You're with me. You're fighting for me. You don't need me to have the perfect weapons or ideal circumstances. You can work through my inadequacy. So help me to stop waiting until I feel brave and to start trusting that you're with me. Give me the courage to take one step toward this giant today, knowing that I don't have to face it in my own strength. Amen.