First Samuel 17 records a challenge issued by a mountain of a man to an entire opposing army. The challenge came from Goliath of Gath, who stood six cubits and a span. A cubit is about 18 inches; this means that Goliath stood well over 9 feet tall! The dare was made to the entire army of Israel: send out your champion so that we can do battle. Morning and evening for a period of 40 days the Philistine giant defied the armies of God with no answer. When David heard this, he could not believe that no one would accept his challenge, and so accepted the challenge himself.
What gave David the courage to stand before the giant, with the confidence that he could defeat him? He trusted God. With God at his side while defending his father’s sheep, David as a shepherd had already killed a lion and a bear. David knew and understood that if God was with him, the giant, and any who defied the living God, would share the same fate as the lion and the bear. It was because of his unwavering trust in God that at the end of the day he, a youthful shepherd, the youngest of his family, stood over of body Goliath, the Philistine champion.
[Christians can do whatever God wants them to do if they rely on the strength of Jesus Christ to do it (Philippians 4:13). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]
