1 Samuel 17: 1-51 (p. 288-289)
We’re continuing our series today on living under God’s covenant – his promise to bless His people
and be faithful to them. Do we really believe that? Do we trust God to act?
Reminds me of a motto I was taught back in primary school – “The enemy of my best is not my worst,
but my good enough!” – so easy for us to settle back, be comfortable, be mediocre. God wants more
for us – to be the best, to be channels of light and power. We can be so much more, if we trust. Let’s
look at someone who did just that – David, the shepherd boy and future king!
The whole essence of this story is not about defeating a tall man, or fighting for your country but
about seeing every situation through God’s eyes. It’s a question of getting the right perspective. Let’s
take a look at three different images just to see how important perspective can be...
Familiar scene in London – I remember coming out of
Westminster Underground station for the first time and having
to look up almost vertically to see Big Ben.
Sometimes our difficulties feel like that – the challenge ahead
of us is huge, and feels likely to overwhelm us. There’s no way
that we can win through. But maybe a change of perspective
will help…
The same landmark, but from the further away.
Of course, the tower itself is exactly the same size as before,
but it appears vastly different. Same for our challenges – with a
little bit of distance, they can often seem much more
manageable. Talking about them with friends, seeking help,
prayer help us to feel more in control.
And there is always a third option… The Bird’s Eye view, or as I
prefer to call it the God’s eye view!! From right up here, the Houses
of Parliament are so small I’ve even had to mark them with a circle
so you can see them at all… God can help us in a similar way – the
problem is still there, is still important, but seeing it from God’s
perspective makes it seem very different: maybe we need to put
other people’s needs first, maybe we have learned that this is just a
little problem compared to a life of eternity with God.
Perspective matters! So let’s see who gets the perspective right and
wrong in the Goliath story. Four main individuals/groups in the story: the Israelites, Saul, David and
God himself.
Israelites: V.11 – they are terrified, and have lost their nerve and their faith in their king and in God.
Saul – v.33 – cannot imagine that David can win – sees the situation purely with human eyes.
David – v.26 – the shepherd, the future king of the Jews. Like Jesus, puts God first and is only
concerned at the shame being cast on God's name. Wants to right this wrong, and has no thought of
his own safety, trusting God.
God – 1 Samuel 16:7 – God chooses David among all his brothers – God sees the true heart, not just
human appearances.
How can we learn to see our lives and challenges from God's perspective?
1.
Listen and soar – Isaiah 40:31 - Bible tells us that we can soar up like eagles, and gain a true
“bird’s eye view” of everything below us if we “hope in the Lord”. That means, if we listen to him, if we
trust in his word and if we obey him, then we will rise up and fly and see the pain and the suffering of
this life in terms of eternity, in terms of his love. That does NOT MEAN that our problems disappear –
the mountains are still there, and we have to return down to the ground to battle with our problems, in
order to run, in order to walk, but we will be different and we will see the problems differently – we will
no longer grow weary, and we will not be faint.
2. Look before you leap – but look backwards – like David did (1 Sam. 17:37) - He looks back on his
past experience, on the times when he trusted God and God upheld him – God protected him when
he battled a lion and a bear, so now it seems second nature that God will stand by him and protect
him and bring him the victory.
Perhaps the most amazing thing about David‘s story is that he was the youngest son, not a strapping
lad built for battle, but his heart was in the right place. And if God can transform that sort of person
into a Bible hero, he can certainly transform us too – if we listen and trust and obey, he will raise us
up to see things his way. If we look back over all that he has done for us, it will be easy for us to leap
out of our comfort zone and take steps forward!
So that brings us back full circle to the motto that we started with: “the enemy of my best is not my
worst, but my good enough”. Are we going to be satisfied with second best? Is my “good enough”
really good enough? Or do we want more from life? Are we willing to trust God and his promises that
he has poured out every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm upon us? Why on earth not?!
In his battle with Goliath, David was a hero, and on that day one man change the course of a nation‘s
history. But just imagine if every man in that Israelite army had understood God‘s character and seen
with God‘s eyes and had taken the right perspective – what an amazing difference they could have
made to their world. And the same applies to us. Let’s listen to God, let’s follow his word, let’s soar up
and live under his covenant and let the darkness fear as His light shines out through us!
Possible group questions
1. Which of the characters in the David/Goliath story do you most identify with? The Israelites,
Saul or David himself? Why?
2. What is your normal response when faced with a challenge? Who do you turn to for help, if
anyone? Is your home group a valid source of support?
3. How can we learn to see life from the right perspective, with God's eyes? How can your home
group help you to do that?
4. Read Isaiah 40: 31 together. How do you understand this verse? Have you ever felt yourself
soar like an eagle on God's power? When, why? Gaining that divine perspective doesn't
eliminate all our problems – we still have to walk and run through everyday life. How can we
bring God more into those everyday challenges?
5. What did you think of the motto about our “good enough”? Is it true? Why do we tend to be
satisfied with second best? What holds us back from trusting God and His promises more
wholeheartedly?
6. Think of practical ways in which you can help each other to move forward with God in power
and with courage.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the
heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ”. (Ephesians 1:3)