A Year 4 Transformation: Day 20-Stop Walking Around Defeated

Passage of the Day:

Early in the morning David left the flock in the care of a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. ²¹ Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. ²² David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and asked his brothers how they were. ²³ As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. ²⁴ Whenever the Israelites saw the man, they all fled from him in great fear. ²⁵ Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel.” ²⁶ David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” – 1 Samuel 17:20-26

Reflection:

As a former middle school and high school coach for more than a decade, I’ve seen defeat on the faces of my players before they even took the field against a far superior team. Apparently, the Israeli army walked around every day with the fear of defeat in their eyes. Goliath’s size and strength was unmatched in his day. Yet, when a teenage shepherd boy came to visit his older brothers who were already enlisted, one thought came to the forefront of David’s mind. ”Who is this uncircumcised Philistine?”

Prayerful Action:

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.” ³⁸ Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. ³⁹ David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. ⁴⁰ Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine, 1 Samuel 17:37-40.

Renewing Your Mind:

Whenever you compete, you have to trust your God given abilities, gifts, and talents. If you want to end the bitter taste of defeat physically and or spiritually, concentrate on what you are best at, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. David wasn’t big or strong enough to fight Goliath as King Saul suggested. Rather, David trusted in his speed and sling shot skills to slay the giant that nobody thought could be defeated, 1 Samuel 17:48-49.

Song of the Day:

Final Thoughts:

Those who have experienced and know God’s power, grow up to believe that with God anything is possible, Matthew 19:26. Don’t walk away defeated like the Rich Young Ruler. Rather, place your trust in the Creator God who will bring, point, and show you the way to victory.

by Jay Mankus