"The Battle Is The LORD'S"

Do you remember when you used to read Bible stories to your children...or when you first heard them read to you?  I wonder what stories stick out in your mind as the most significant or memorable?  For me, the one that stirs up the most powerful imagery has to be  "David and Goliath".  Therefore, I was thrilled when that happened to be the story referred to in my morning devotions today, from the book of I Samuel, chapter 17, verses 31-51.

Our normal practice each morning is that I read the daily devotional selected for the day from a devotional booklet, and then I read the accompanying scripture verses that go along with the story.  Did I mention that I read this out loud to my husband and anyone else who happens to be within earshot? Yep, that is what we do, weekdays and weekends.  Normally, I just read without much expression, trying not to be too loud in case someone is still sleeping in the house.  But today, I could not resist reading this whole passage rather loudly, using my best Deep, Gravelly, Ferocious giant voice for Goliath, and my equally STRONG, CONFIDENT and BRAVE voice for David.


Please read along with me:

The first scene is the young shepherd boy David convincing King Saul that he is able to go and fight this Philistine...see verses 31-39  I particularly like verses 36-37, where David says to King Saul:

"Your servant (David) 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."

Moreover, David said, 

"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!"

The scene changes, and David approaches the giant with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones from the brook. (Verses 40-42)  Then the real excitement begins in verses 43-51:

So the Philistine (Goliath) said to David,

"Am I a DOG, that you come to me with sticks?"

And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

And the Philistine said to David, 

"Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!"

Then David said to the Philistine,

"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. 

And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know 

David meets Goliath (picture from internet)

THAT THERE IS A GOD IN ISRAEL!

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!"

David hurried and ran toward the army to meet
the Philistine
(photo from internet)

"So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.  

Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth.

So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone,

and struck the Philistine and killed him.  But there was no sword in the hand of David.

Therefore, David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it.  And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled."

Wow! You may be thinking this is a rather grisly story to begin my day.  I can only tell you that when you find yourself up against the giants of this life, whether they be the giants of illness, death, loss of home, mate, child, job...or the perceived enemies of insecurity, hopelessness, emptiness...whatever your huge giants may be, and no matter how small and insignificant you may feel...you can stand strong in the face of these giants because the little shepherd boy David showed us that:

"THE BATTLE IS THE LORD'S...AND HE WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE HAND OF THIS PHILISTINE!"  

"And all the world will know that there IS A GOD IN YOUR ISRAEL"...

The place you call home, wherever that may be.

And as King Saul said to David in verse 37:

"Go, and the Lord be with you!"