This morning we looked at a very well-known miracle in the Bible, the slaying of Goliath by David (see 1 Sam 17). Even people who don’t read the Bible know this story where the underdog triumphs over a formidable adversary, but there are important lessons for us all to learn from this great miracle.
Firstly, the fact that we have an enemy just as David did is often overlooked by Christians. Paul reminds us that we are in a spiritual battle (see Ephesians 6:10-20); because of sin, there will always be an enemy out to make us stumble (1 Pet 5:8) David was not called to befriend Goliath but to defeat him; the same is true for us with sin (see James 4:4, Romans 8:5-8).
Secondly, because of the spiritual nature of our battle, we need spiritual weapons, not worldly ones. Saul tried to dress David in his armour, but the battle was ultimately won through five smooth stones and a sling – unlikely and very mundane weapons, but when combined with faith in an almighty God, ultimately powerful weapons. Our powerful weapons (prayer, faith and the Word) may not look much, but they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Cor 10:5) David offered himself unreservedly to God and found that an ordinary person can achieve extraordinary things with God.
Thirdly, confidence in God is what brings the victory. David’s previous experiences of God’s help (rescuing him from the paw of the lion and of the bear) stood him in good stead to face the Philistine with a completely different mindset to the other Israelites. As we give God our ordinary, everyday lives (‘your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life’, as the Message version paraphrases Rom 12:1), He is the One who takes our ordinary stones and slings an
d slays giants with them. What He did for David, He can do for us too.
d slays giants with them. What He did for David, He can do for us too.