Thoughts for the Day

David said to Saul...your servant will go and fight with this Philistine. Saul said to David, 'You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are just a boy, and he has been a warrior from his youth.' But David said to Saul, 'Your servant used to keep sheep for his father, and whenever a lion or a bear came, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after it and struck it down, rescuing the lamb from its mouth; and if it turned against me, I would catch it by the jaw, strike it down, and kill it. Your servant has killed both lions and bears; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, since he has defied the armies of the living God.' David said, 'The Lord, who saved me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will save me from the hand of this Philistine.' So Saul said to David. 'Go and may the Lord be with you!'....

Then David took his staff in his hand, and chose five smooth stones from the wadi, and put them in his shepherd's bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine.

The Philistine came on and drew near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was only a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. The Philistine said to David, 'Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?' ... But David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with sword and spear and 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 very day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down.'

(New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

If you haven't read this story for a long time you will probably have forgotten the huge differences between the Philistine's champion, Goliath, and David. Goliath is over 9 foot tall (perhaps that includes his armour), and a seasoned warrior, while David is a boy. King Saul puts armour onto him but the lad can't even walk with it on, and chooses only his staff and his sling-shot. The whole thing seems a farce!

But when we read the story again the thing that jumps out is the total confidence that David has in God. It is 'the Lord' who will save him, he says, and is the 'the Lord' who will deliver the philistine into his hand. Even though the story has been hyped up by David's biographers, after all he was to become King David in due course, this confidence in God shines out. Can we say the same of our life at the moment?

Friday 7th August, follow up thoughts

Almighty God,
whose servant David
had complete confidence in You,
give us such faith
that we too can believe in You
and trust in Your plans for our future
Amen.