A Single Rock

I was reading through 1 Samuel 18 recently and wanted to share some thoughts that I had while reading it. It’s the story of David and Goliath and while I have heard and read through this story countless times growing up and even remember the little felt characters being moved around the felt board in Sunday school this story touched me in a different way this time.

David defeats Goliath with a single rock. A. Single. Rock. Now let’s get some perspective here... David was a shepherd who was running food to his three older brothers while they were serving in the army of the Israelites. He was barely over the age of still being considered a boy and had never served in an army before. Goliath, on the other hand, was a 9' 9" giant wearing a coat of armor that weighed one hundred and twenty pounds complete with a spear and a personal shield bearer. Meanwhile, David stands across from him armor-less with his shepherds' staff, a sling, and some rocks. Let's also take into account the fact that Goliath has been a trained Philistine warrior since he was a child. Despite these Goliath-favored facts though when David hears Goliath defying the armies of the Lord, he persists and goes up to face Goliath.

Now, going up against a trained warrior with only a rock and a stick seems extremely daunting to me, but David handles it like a pro proclaiming the name of the Lord Almighty and fully believing that God will deliver Goliath into his hand and see him through.

I think we need to take notes from David on how to handle our problems. Goliath would literally be twice my height and I think that’s how big our problems can feel sometimes. In the story, David shows us that if we face our battles proclaiming the name of the Lord in their face and believing and trusting in God to see us through then we can overcome any battle, obstacle, or problem that stands before us. And what a triumph that is! Oftentimes when I am faced with a problem I zero in on it and it becomes the only thing I can think about. I get so stressed and frustrated trying to figure out how I can fix it that I forget about my most valuable asset, my God. The creator of the universe; healer of the deaf, blind, and lame; the King of all Kings is on my side! There is no problem that is too big or too messy for Him to handle; nor too small or inconvenient for Him to concern Himself with. Now I’m not saying that you’re going to pray and God is going to snap His fingers and “poof” your problems are gone. There is a reason you are facing this obstacle and some lesson that God wants you to learn from it. So, although He may not make it disappear, He will see you through it so that one day you can look back and see what He wanted you to learn from it. God has a plan and a purpose and everything that happens, happens for a reason, even if we don’t always know or understand that reason.

He is a God of love and of grace. Romans 8:28 tells us, “that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Then, in verse 31 it asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” It says a little later in the chapter, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” And finally, in verse 37 it says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” You see there is nothing that can or will stop God from coming into our lives to intercede whatever obstacle is before us. It may not be as quick or as simple as slinging a rock but if we face our giants with God at our side, He will never fail to get us to the other side and make us conquerors through Him. What a blessing this is!!