“Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” 26 David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 27 They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.” 28 When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” 29 “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” 30 He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before. 31 What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.” 1 Samuel 17.25-31
From the moment David stepped foot near the battlefield he had courage. Courage in a God who could do for him what he could not do for himself. David didn’t appear on the front lines to show off, make a name for himself or demonstrate his killing abilities, David came because he was concerned about the reputation of his nation and of his God.
Now David’s older brother thought his motives were less than pure. Eliab said to David, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came only to watch the battle.” But David defends himself saying, “Can’t I even speak?” And David continued to ask questions about the battle and inquired about the promises Saul made to the man who killed Goliath.
Everything began to change for David when he was “overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him.” David was about to live into his purpose, who God created him to be — a warrior, a leader and a king for Israel.
How often are you discouraged from being the person God created you to be? How many times have you been insulted by people not believing in who you are and what you can do? How frequent do you find yourself, like David, turned away for simply inquiring about an issue a problem or an opportunity?
David was set on a course to defeat Goliath but no one, except David (and God), believed he could do it. It was his courage that drove him forward to find a solution to the enemy of Israel that was insulting God and humiliating the troops for forty straight days.
And the Lord can do the same through us. Through the power of his Holy Spirit he can do incredible things through a person devoted to his cause. To seeking his face, loving righteousness and striving for holiness. God has a mission for each person whose heart is set on loving him and loving his son Jesus.
Will you allow yourself to be discouraged by naysayers or filled with courage and the Holy Spirit to accomplish what God has in store for you?
“Come now, Holy Spirit, I praise you. You are good and you are kind. You call us for specific tasks and anoint us with your power and love. For some of us the tasks are small, and for others it might be large. But in your eyes, every assignment is significant. Fill me with your Holy Spirit that I might be your representative in a world lost in sin. For you are good and your love endures forever.” Amen