You Will Defeat Goliath

My favorite story of the Bible is the true tale of David and Goliath. I'm sure you've seen the storyline; it's been recycled again and again (think Rocky, Forrest Gump, Remember The Titans, Shrek, Mean Girls, even Legally Blonde!) We love to root on the underdog. And in this story – the original – the underdog was David, a shepherd too young for even a learners permit. He held a slingshot and gripped a tight passion for God. If you're unfamiliar, here's the SparkNotes:

David woke up like any other day, except this day, instead of heading to the fields, his father gave him a different task: "'Davey, no more sleeping in! Take this bread and cheese to your brothers [highly trained soldiers on the front line of battle] and come back to tell me how the war is going." Basically, David was a pizza boy and followed the orders of his father. He was just a youngster living in his parents basement, after all.

Upon arriving to the battlefront, David noticed how the Israelite soldiers (including his own brothers!) were deathly afraid of the Philistines they were facing – one tall, hairy, scary man in particular: Goliath. Goliath was larger than any man in existence, and he taunted and jeered at the Israelites because of their cowering fear. The Israelites thought, "surely King Saul will step in! He'll know what to do! This is why we begged God to give us a king – to lead us!"

They looked to their King to fight, Saul, who was the tallest man in Israel, thinking he would of course step up. He was the obvious choice! But, alas, their fearless King stayed put in his cozy tent and offered to waive taxes to anyone who took his place. All-in-all, the King they originally begged God to have let down the nation, and shrilling disappointment spread throughout the whole army. The job was impossible; they were bound to lose.

David, arriving to the battlefront with the pizzas, was intrigued, and for good reason. He was a young teenager – a mere fifteen, and as any young boy, he was fascinated by the idea of battle. So, instead of giving his brothers the bread and cheese and heading home, David decided to inquire about it all. "Is no one really going to fight him? Guys – seriously?"

David's brothers blushed deeply at David's questioning and rudely told him to hurry home to care for his piddly sheep, but David didn't budge. "I want to see the King," he stated, as confidently as a young boy could. If no one else would fight, not even King Saul himself, he would. No one taunted his God like that under his watch!

King Saul was overjoyed by hearing there was a willing fighter. Think, he wouldn't have to go out with a sword and spear after all! Israel wouldn't be defeated! One of his training soldiers, maybe one of the three sons of Jesse, a grand warrior... would surely defeat Goliath for him!

But instead, the man ushered into the tent was a mere youngster with red cheeks and big eyes. A measly boy with no armour, no training, and three older brothers shaking their heads.

David excitedly told King Saul he would fight Goliath, and King Saul hung his head. With no explanation necessary, King Saul knew the idea was a death sentence, and he warned – even scolded – David not to. However, David wouldn't hear of it. "King, when I watch my sheep and a lion goes after just one of them, I'm not like the other shepherds; I don't simply guard the rest of the flock. No, sir, I go after the one (sound familiar?), and I kill the lion. I've done the same with bears, too. No one touches my sheep without my permission, and no one ridicules my nation the way that uncircumcised heathen is doing – not even one triple my size. I will not leave until you give me your approval to kill the man."

King Saul, reluctant but desperate, gave his hesitant blessing, placing the future of the nation in the hands of a young boy, just so he himself wouldn't need to fight. Goliath had previously explained that whoever faced him would have an ultimatum: if the warrior killed Goliath, all the Philistines would be their slaves, but if Goliath killed the warrior, all the Israelites would be their slaves. King Saul, terrified at the idea of being speared before all his people, gave the great and seemingly impossible task to a little boy. If the boy lost, they'd all become slaves.

The Israelite army, rolling their eyes and fearing for their futures, knew David didn't stand a chance. "How could the King allow this to happen? Have we really sunk this low?!" His own brothers were not only bewildered, but sickeningly embarrassed at the fact David was even there: a sheep battling a wolf without even fur for protection.

Throwing down the armor he'd been offered, David walked up to Goliath with a slingshot, bear skin, and five rocks – the very attire and tools he used to kill predators for his sheep. While Goliath and thousands of Philistines laughed hysterically at little David, David was not phased.

“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. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 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.”

David sprinted without hesitation toward Goliath, grabbed his smoothest stone – likely a cornerstone that has been kicked to the wayside (again, sound familiar?) – and hit Goliath straight between the eyes – the only place not covered in armor. David knocked him cold, grabbed Goliath's sword, and chopped off his head, winning the battle for the Israelites. The Philistines, frightened, scattered as the Israelites killed them with more confidence than they'd ever felt before. David was a hero, and we still talk heavily of him today.

Quite the story, eh? Now, let's imagine if God had told David a year prior that he would kill a man 3x his size. Imagine if God had said one day in the shepherd field, "Hey, psttt, David, just so you know, you will become the greatest warrior in all of Israel! Everyone will bow at your feet! You'll be the most famous man in the world, and you'll have people talking about you for thousands and thousands of years! Books! Movies (movies – like, moving stories, David), so much!!!" If God had done that, it probably would have scared David into thinking he needed to take matters into his own hands. He probably would have spent that year trying to learn how to use a sword, walk in full armor, and protect himself with a shield. David probably would have spent less time watching his flock and more time worrying over how to become a great warrior. Talk about pressure!

Often in my life, I get frustrated worrying if I'm in God's perfect will or not. I wonder how my daily routine could possibly be training me to be the best version of myself tomorrow. And, of course this happens! God has a set plan for each of his followers, after all. How dare we take a wrong turn and screw it up! Eek! Pressure!

However, if you have accepted Jesus into your heart (if you haven't done that, I'd heavily urge yah, darling), your life is no longer your own, meaning He is guiding your every move. He's even given us the Holy Spirit and His handy-dandy love letter (the Bible) to know right from wrong! However, it's easy, as young ladies, to worry our lives are too normal or quiet. But, that's the beauty of God's power: working and living in our jobs and towns is training us, one way or another, for what God's ultimate planning for our lives!

God can do anything with anyone. That said, He may be preparing you for something BIG, just like David! You may be in your shepherd field learning how to battle lions and bears, how to worship God, and how to protect the flock He's granted you all so tomorrow He can use you for something extraordinary! Something you wouldn't believe even if you were told! And that's the thing, He may not want to tell you for fear you'll try to do things your way instead of His.

Look at the past! God told Abraham he would have a son, and then he screwed it up by sleeping with his maid. Talk about drama! When we try to do God's promise OUR way in our OWN hands, it fails! So, maybe He's holding back parts of His ultimate plan for you because HE wants it to happen HIS way, not your way. And maybe, just maybe, it's too big for you to even believe!

Even if life seems quiet and monotonous, you are most likely exactly where God wants you, being trained in a specific way for a specific purpose. God did not tell Mary years prior how she would bare the Savior of the entire world; He waited until she was ripe and ready before sharing a thing. And it's likely, as long as you're worshipping and trusting Him, He's doing the same with you. He has bigger plans for you than you even realize, sweetheart. And like David was being trained to be a God-fearing warrior by working as a shepherd, I ask: What is He training you for? It's probably something bigger than you think. And oh, hun? Be faithful in the little things, and He may entrust you with something glorious.