No Match

04.15.12

I Samuel 17.36-37 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and may the LORD be with you.” NASB

It’s probably best when engaging in battle to know your enemy; Goliath didn’t stand a chance. Yes, he was a giant – just over nine feet tall; and yes he was skilled militarily: he could handle himself in battle. And he was enormously strong; he carried all the current weaponry. But all these things didn’t amount to fine dust on a scale when it came to who he was facing: no one defeats the Living God. Goliath just didn’t know that.

David, on the other hand, was sure of Who stood with him: God. David had killed a lion and a bear. David wasn’t about to let one sheep get stolen by these predators and so when they dared to attack David went after them and killed them, thus rescuing his flock. Animals in nature are ferocious, skilled and by instinct, very dangerous. David didn’t seem to care; all he knew was they took something of his without his permission and he went and got it back. Killing the lion, the bear, or Goliath, it was all in a day’s work for David.

The advantage David had was he knew where he stood and he knew Who stood with him. David had cultivated such a relationship with the Lord that he knew God was with him even in the midst of a battle with a wild animal. David guarded those sheep as if they were the Lord’s own sheep and he conducted himself in battle that way: lion, bear, you don’t stand a chance for you have taken God’s sheep and He is going to get them back! Goliath was no different.

Poor Goliath had made his living by winning through intimidation. But he never knew honor, dignity, respect, or even worship (other than worshiping himself). No one messed with Goliath because he had advantages in a lot of ways: size, strength, skill. But he was only a man and no match for the living God.

In today’s battle, whom do we choose? Do we run from Goliath, the lion, or the bear? Or do we stand our ground in the strength of this thought: you (whatever or whomever) are no match for the Living God. Last week was a terrible week for me – a lot of expense and a little in sales. I stand with the Living God who has promised to provide and who knows exactly what I need before it’s even in my head, or on my tongue. With God it isn’t you win some, you lose some, it’s: He has promised; He is faithful in all things. David understood the promise of God and lived with that mentality.

Maybe our difficulties are designed to see if we’re going to stand our ground in God’s strength and not our own. Had David faced Goliath in his own strength the battle could’ve gone either way. But David met his foe in the strength of God and the battle was already over before it began…David didn’t care – Goliath, lion, or bear you’re no match for the Living God.