David and the Lion Had to Fight Before It Was the Giant’s Turn
Throughout the Bible, the Lord has made is clear that He loves to show His power through the lives of His people. But one thing that is difficult for the finite, flaw mind to grasp is the perspective of eternity that the Lord has. He sees the end from the beginning. He sees something in you that you don’t see in yourself- yet. You’re going to walk through seasons of trial and difficulty and strain to see His promises in the darkness. You’re going to face adversaries and confront fear and wonder if God hears you or sees you or is helping you as you battle to victory. These situations are what make your faith stronger and more able to endure. (James 1:3) And, as you look back and see what the Lord has done, you’re more able to look forward the next time and hold fast in anticipation of what you know in faith the Lord is going to do!
David was a real person with real emotions, real failures, real victories and a very real love for the Lord – just like you and me. But he had something else that many of us struggle with each day as we walk out the journey of our lives: perspective. When the people of Israel were faced with the taunting of the Philistine army and Goliath, their 9-ft. giant whose weapon was the size of a tree trunk, even seasoned warriors cowered in fear. However, David, who had never been in a “real” battle, stepped forward with the courage of a true warrior, as one who had fought to the death more than once- and had won. Why? Because he had the perspective of an overcomer.
Walking in Victory? Or Victimhood?
We all see the events in our lives through our own personal perspectives, but the Lord has a perspective of eternity. He doesn’t see your situations the same way you do. Maybe you look back and see struggles and pain and questions- but if you can learn to look at your life differently, through the lens of an overcomer who is alive to fight another day, you’ll then begin to see yourself as a giant killer- which is how God sees you!
In 1 Samuel 17:34-37 David volunteered to fight the giant, Goliath of Gath. Because he was an arrogant kid with an inflated ego? No! Because David and the lion had already fought. And David had already beaten a bear! He didn’t look back in anger and resentment demanding to know why God had “allowed” the fear and pain of those situations into his life, or “why” the lion and the bear attacked him and his sheep. Instead, he used those situations as stories of victory– and used them as reasons why he should be allowed to take down the giant! David said to King Saul:
“Your servant was a shepherd for my father’s flock, and the lion came and the bear, and took a lamb out of the flock. And I went out after him, and struck him, and delivered the lamb out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I took hold of his beard, struck him, and killed him. Your servant slew both the lion and the bear. And this uncircumcised Philistine will be as one of them, because he has reviled the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.'”
The Lion and the Bear Were Necessary to Defeat the Giant
While you may see yourself as a failure, others may be admiring your courage to keep going. While you may see yourself as struggling in your faith, someone else may find your very real journey to be inspirational to their own struggles. Your perspective of your life and its past battles will shape how you confront the enemies in your future. So many people look at all the bad things happening or that have happened in our lives – some of it very, very, very evil and terrible – and we use it as an excuse for how we live, or why we fail, or why we can’t move forward. But if you want true victory and freedom in your life, you’re going to have to see the events in your life from a different perspective. This will take time, and effort and real intention in Christ, but you can do it! Take encouragement today, from the life of David and the lion and the bear. If you’ve faced down the lion and the bear in your life and there is a giant in front of you- GO AFTER IT. You can’t help the fact that “in this world you will have tribulations”- but you can take control of the outcome.
Thought for today: Spiritual Battles Require Spiritual Weapons
David ran after a bear, beat him to death and got his lamb back. He grabbed a lion by its mane while it was charging at him, and beat him to death too! Alone. No help to be had. Do you realize how many people do not survive attacks from bears and lions, even with weapons? Yet instead of using these stories to explain why he was traumatized, triggered, depressed, filled with anxiety about facing those fields day after day, he instead pushed his way to the front of a crowd of soldiers, past his own mocking older brothers, and used those experiences to make a case for why he should get to now face a giant. Who does that?! A person who sees their lives in light of the goodness of God, who has the perspective of victory and not victimhood.
No one saw David as anything special, important or even worth their time and attention, yet David saw himself differently than the world saw himself. He used his scary, valley-of-the-shadow-of-death, kill-or-be-killed trauma and fear to build his courage and see himself a fighter, a warrior, a conqueror. Now THAT is a person who is ready to slay a giant! Instead of being filled with resentment for being overlooked and looked down upon, David saw an opportunity to be alone with the Lord and write worship songs and spent time in the presence of God, growing stronger physically and spiritually. Instead of complaining about how violent and scary and isolated his life had been, alone in the fields as a shepherd, David used his experiences with the lion and bear as a resume to prove why he should be allowed to kill a giant that no one else had the courage to face! Friend, it’s time to change how you see things and then charge toward that giant!
Ready Yourself for a New Way of Warring in the Spirit!
- “David Fought Like a Shepherd, Not a Soldier”
- LIVE DEVOTIONAL: “5 Things David Did that Made all the Difference”
- “Winning the Battle Against Satan”
Don’t forget to pick up a copy of The Way of the Worshipper on Amazon – and AVAILABLE NOW you can also purchase The Way of the Worshipper: A Devotional Workbook for deeper study, personal examination and spiritual growth!
