1 SAMUEL 17:37

The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”

TO PONDER

Have you ever had to stare down something truly terrifying? Maybe it wasn’t a giant soldier like Goliath, but maybe it was a situation or predicament you found yourself in. It was unknown, scary and perhaps left you feeling paralysed. This is a natural reaction to something that can hurt us or ‘take us down’. Fight or flight as they say. You are either paralysed by fear, or it mobilises you to take action. David is not frozen in fear when he stares down Goliath, but he is also not rash or haphazard in his reaction. He is confident and sure that he is protected and not alone. How can someone have this reaction? It is only through his experience of God and all that he has done for him. God had saved David in the past from things that could kill him, lions and bears, and he trusts that If God had done it before, then he would do it again. David knew in a real way that he was never truly alone, he didn’t fight Goliath on his own, he had God and all his power with him. That’s true for you and I today too. We don’t walk through life alone, we have the Holy Spirit, Jesus gift to us, who helps us understand God and also trust in his power at work in our lives. So as when you encounter your next Goliath, stand firm in the knowledge that you don’t have to fight it alone!

PRAYER: Jesus, thank you that you entered the earthly experience. Thank you that because of that act I can be assured that you understand what I am going through, because you have experienced this life too. Help me to trust in your power at work in my life. Give me courage and faith, Amen.

Today's devotion written by Elise von Stanke, LifeWay Newcastle