Many times, we think we need more experience or another degree to add to our name to gain the authority required to win a spiritual battle. The Lord is trying to convince us that if we have been faithful to God in the past in the small things, He will prove Himself faithful when we stand before something that appears larger and more threatening than our experience or education can handle.

For forty days, Israel listened to the taunts of Goliath defying the army of God. One day, David’s father had him take food to his brothers and the captain of the army. David heard of a reward Saul was offering to anyone who could kill Goliath. David began to ask around to verify if the reward was real. David’s older brother got mad at him thinking he was there out of curiosity and motivated by pride. 

Saul heard of David’s questions about the reward and summoned him. When David said he could kill the giant, Saul mocked David’s confidence since he was only a boy who wanted to take on a skilled giant who had been schooled in war all of his life. David told Saul, “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats. When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue it from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” (I Samuel 17: 34-37).

Saul conceded to David’s request and gave him his armor to go and meet Goliath. David tried it on but rejected it because it didn’t fit. David said, “I had never worn such things before. I can’t go in these. I’m not used to them” (vs. 39).

David took his sling and shepherd’s staff and went off to face the taunting giant. As David stood before Goliath and all the Philistine army, he said, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head” (vs. 45-46). David then shot a smooth stone into Goliath’s forehead and that impact ended the threats of Goliath and the Philistine army.

David’s greatest weapon was his trust in God. “I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel.” David brought with him the skills of life he learned while being a faithful shepherd and coupled those skills with his trust in God. What had been proven to David to be sure and accurate in the past was brought with him to his confrontation with Goliath.

“Do not despise these small beginnings” (Zechariah 4:10).