41 Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. 42 He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. 43 He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” -1 Samuel 17:41-47
Now, I have to tell you that I appreciate some good smack talk. There are rumors that I've been known to talk a little smack on the softball field, basketball court or flag football field. Don't believe the rumors :)
This is smack talk of Biblical proportions, literally. The thing about it that is so impressive to me is not that David is brash and tough. It's that he is faithful. In earthly measurements, there is no good reason to think that David can defeat Goliath. He will be crushed. But David doesn't measure things by earthly standards. David measures things in the Kingdom of God, and they use a different currency in the Kingdom. David is bold enough to declare that his enemy is fighting with all of earth's might, but it won't be enough. He himself is fighting with all of heaven's might. He is doing this in the Lord. And his faith never waivers. He is sure victory will be his, and calls Goliath, the baddest dude on the planet, to the carpet. The next passage says that David then ran toward him in battle. He has no fear. He is fighting with God's power. Notice how Goliath says "I'll give you" to the birds and beasts. David says, "The Lord" will hand you over to me. Big difference.
What enemies are scoffing at you? What obstacles are staring you down and laughing at you? What seems like an insurmountable bump in your path? You know God wants to deliver you through it and over it, but the tasks seems so daunting. Have you thought about calling it to the carpet? Have you thought about claiming it in the name of Jesus and declaring God's power over it? God has not given you a spirit of fear but a spirit of might. You are not alone. You do not fight alone. You have the power of the most High God readily available to you. Claim it. Use it. I find that most of the time we don't have the kind of faith that David has. We're unsure about being so confident in God. That's why I love this story. David is arrogant in God's power, not in his own. He leaves no room for doubt in his own heart. He places his very life in God's hands. If God doesn't come through, David will be squashed. That's of no concern to David. This battle is already won in his mind. There are some battles you and I are fighting that are already won and we're still struggling with them. Claim the victory God wants to give you. Be confident in the power of God. And be ready to trust in Him fully. But be prepared. Against all reason, he might call you to run head on into the giant you're facing carrying only a slingshot. Just remember that the battle is His.
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