One of the most well-known events from Scripture is the story of David slaying the giant of the Philistines, Goliath. It is so well known that it is used to describe many modern events of today where a smaller and weaker individual goes up against a bigger and stronger opponent. It is used in business metaphors as well in many sports activities. Whenever the little guy loses, the story of David versus Goliath is usually the measuring stick that it is used in comparison.
While it is neat to think about how the world, sometimes unknowingly, uses a story from the Bible to illustrate and describe an event today, it has a way of trivializing what God did on that day. Sadly, there are many Christians that tend to reduce what God did that day as well. This magnificent event is not a story about David verses Goliath as much as it a story about David and His God. For without God’s working, Goliath defeats David ten out ten times. David was no match for Goliath, but God was.
Amid their discourse to one another the champion of the Philistines, Goliath, told David how he was going to kill him and feed him to the wild animals, but David reveals that he is going to fight much differently than any opponent that Goliath had ever faced. He said in verses forty-five and forty-six in I Samuel 17, “I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” The decision for David to go forward into battle had nothing to do with obtaining fame or wealth and everything to do with the last phrase that he said to Goliath: “that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
As we enter this new year of 2023 may we rise to the same level of confidence in God that David had. In all that we seek to accomplish in the days ahead and in this coming year, may we have the same goal in our hearts that David had. May we have the same desire in our lives from day to day as David had. May we live boldly so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Tomah. That all the earth may know that there is a God at Tomah Baptist Church that saves and changes lives. Can you imagine what it would be like if we had that amount of faith to live out and give testimony to those around us? That all the earth may know! May that not just be our theme for the year of 2023, may it be the theme of our lives.