1 Samuel 17:17 Jesse said to his son David (the youngest of eight sons), “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers; 18 also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See how your brothers fare, and bring some token from them.” … 21 Israel and the Philistines drew up for battle, army against army. 22 David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage, ran to the ranks, and went and greeted his brothers. 23 As he talked with them, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines, and spoke the same words as before (challenging Israel to send a warrior to fight him). And David heard him. 24 All the Israelites, when they saw the man, fled from him and were very much afraid… 26 David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine, and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

You’re probably familiar with how this story ends. David goes to meet Goliath armed with only a few stones and a slingshot. But it’s all he needs. He doesn’t fight mano-a-mano with Goliath, but instead launches a stone at a high rate of speed hitting Goliath smack in the forehead – killing him instantly. What got my attention this morning is v.26:

“For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

The soldiers of Israel saw Goliath’s enormous size and substantial weaponry and assumed he was unbeatable. David saw the situation completely differently. He wasn’t impressed with Goliath as much as he pitied him. Why? Because no warrior ever born could possibly stand a chance when fighting the armies of the living God. Today’s passage is from the Old Testament, but we read something similar in the New Testament book of Romans, “If God be for us, who can be against us?”

I don’t know what battle you’re facing right now. But if you’re like most people you believe what your human eyes tell you. It’s an impossible situation. There’s no way out. You’re through. That’s how most of us see life if we’re honest. But faith teaches us to see things differently. We don’t deny that our circumstances may not look good, but as Christians we are children of the living God. And if God is with us, anything is possible. ANYTHING. Truly.

God of the impossible, we cry out to you today. You know the nature of our struggle. You see hope fading within us. We’re tempted to believe what our human eyes tell us. So this morning we’re asking for grace to see with the eyes of faith instead – to trust that all things are possible with you, O God. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.