Strong Faith, Smart Strategy and Plain Common Sense

UV 1102/10,000 Strong Faith, Smart Strategy and Plain Common Sense

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man.

Psalm 60 v 11


David as a young shepherd got help from the Lord to overthrow and overcome Goliath. The entire army of Israel and its king Saul were terrified of Goliath. They listened meekly to the mocking challenge he hurled at them. David alone was moved by the spirit of God to ask,” Who is this Philistine who is mocking the armies of God?” He declined to wear the armour offered by Saul or to carry the sword given by him. Even the weapons offered by man was vain in his view. He was also realistic and knew that he stood little chance if he had a hand to hand fight with the giant Goliath. He refused to be intimidated by Goliath’s threats and insults. The odds were heavily against David coming out unscathed or alive. He kept a cool mind and the Lord quickened it to think of a strategy by which he could strike Goliath without coming within Goliath’s reach. He moved forward with courage and confidence in the Lord so that Goliath came within the range of his sling. He picked up four smooth stones. We too should not go empty handed for a battle. David prepared his ammunition even as he whispered a prayer in his heart asking the Lord for His help. He picked up four stones just in case one missed as well as the eventuality of Goliath’s brothers coming against him after his fall.

When we seek help from the Lord quietly and in private, we will be beyond the reach of the enemy. At the same time, we should encourage ourselves with the Word of God. There is no enemy who is bigger or stronger or smarter than God. There is no problem or challenge that is too big or too complicated for God to solve. We should not resort to conventional weapons or strategy. God will use what we have in our hands. He will make use of our natural skills and our training this far as he used David’s accuracy in aiming his sling. David was smart enough to realize that behind all of Goliath’s bravado and threats, he too had some soft and vulnerable points. While Saul and the other Israelites thought that Goliath was too big to fight, David thought that he was too big to miss. The first stone he aimed hit Goliath with precision on his forehead. Now David knew he needed a sword to slay him as he was just unconscious. He used Goliath’s own sword to decapitate him. He could carry his head back as a trophy to motivate the Israelites even as it demoralised the opposing camp. God does not forbid or discourage a mix of natural and supernatural means, a mix of strong faith, smart strategy and plain common sense. Faith only gave David the courage to accept the challenge, the confidence that he cannot loose but he had to figure out which way he fought and to decode and take the steps he eventually took. His confidence stemmed from the past experience of fighting a bear and a lion in order to protect his flock. That made him a winner in difficult situations and challenges. But his faith stemmed not from his past success or that he perceived himself as a winner but that he had joined the winning side, the side of God.

As king of Israel, David got help from the Lord to defeat many armies. He realized that the help of man is vain, worthless and of little use. He focussed his eyes on seeking the help of the Lord. Another synonym for the help of God is the grace of God. We need to believe that the grace of God is more than just sufficient for us. Whatever be our quest or our challenge, we should depend on the invincible, exceeding power of God. Abraham affirmed that the Lord is His shield and the sword of his excellence. His word is the sword that executes God’s will in our lives. The Goliath challenge was necessary to take David to the next level of leadership and the realization of his potential and God’s promise to him. God places a set of dreams, desires and skills in us as a “do- it -yourself kit.” Our potential is our promise and commitment to God to do our best and His promise is the means to realize it. The "Goliath challenges" of our lives are God's short cut to our promotion in terms of reputation,testimony, abilities, faith, leadership, legacy and eternal life.


Prateep V Philip