Battling Giants | 1 Samuel 17:45

Vince Miller Podcast

Are you battling a giant?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are in 1 Samuel 17. I've titled this chapter "Battling Giants."

The key verse of this chapter is 1 Samuel 17:45, which reads:

Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." — 1 Samuel 17:45

This statement is the rallying cry of a sold-out, courageous man of God. It's one of the most famous statements in the Old Testament, and it was heard right in the middle of the most famous battle ever fought.

But here's the perspective we need to have of this chapter. This story is about God, his battle, his victory, and his defeat of a giant.

Most people wrongly conclude after reading this chapter that in our battle with our giants, we can be victorious if we simply muster up some courage and get into the fight. However, that is not a precise interpretation and application of this story because that is not how David sees this battle. David sees this moment not as a battle between him and a giant but between God and a giant. The start of his rallying cry is a hint of it, but as he continues, he concludes with this statement in verse 47:

For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand. — 1 Samuel 17:47

David has a perspective that no one in Israel seems to have. He is fully convinced of six truths in these two verses:

1. God is greater.
2. God has all authority.
3. God is the leader of great armies.
4. You have defied him.
5. God is going to battle you.
6. God will give you in our hands.

From the first moment David walked upon the battle to the final moment he lopped off Goliath's giant head, there was no doubt about his perspective. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he saw the situation differently. David understood this was not a battle between him and a giant. It was a battle between a Giant God and a mortal man who had defied God.

Sometimes, we read ourselves into God's story because we want to be the hero. But the hero of this story is not David. It's God. David knows this from beginning to end, which is shown by what he states. The problem is that most of the observers of the battle and even readers today fail to see the story this way. We want to read David, his skill, and his courage into the story and make him the center of the story. But when we do this, we rob the divine truth and application of this incredible victory.

The point is that God is a victorious God. He will have victory over those who oppose him, and sometimes, he will use outrageous means to achieve this victory. This means that sometimes, he will use us to accomplish this victory. But that does not mean we are the heroes. It simply means that God stooped to us.

If you have an impossible battle before you today, maybe you need to examine it again. Do you see it as a battle between you and someone who is against you? Or do you see it as a battle between God and someone who is against God? These are two very different perspectives that lead to two very different results. If you actually take the time to play them out in your mind and compare them, you will see a vast difference. Then your response will change and so might the result.

But my advice is to let God be the hero, and the result will be much better.

#BattleBelongsToTheLord, #GodFightsForUs, #VictoryThroughFaith

Ask This:

1. How does viewing your current challenges as a battle between God and your obstacles change your approach to facing them? Reflect on how shifting your perspective from focusing on your strength to relying on God's might can alter your strategy and mindset.
2. In what ways can you acknowledge and invite God to be the hero in your daily struggles and decisions? Consider practical steps you can take to make God the central figure in your battles rather than trying to be the hero on your own.

Do This:

Look again at the battle. See and respond differently.

Pray This:

Lord, I surrender my battles to You, trusting that Your strength will overcome any giant I face. Help me to see every challenge as an opportunity for Your glory to shine through, not my ability. Amen.

Play This:

You've Already Won.