1 Samuel 17:1-50
Verse 45 David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
For the last couple of days we have been reviewing the lives of some of the men who knew God in a close, intimate way and therefore worshiped Him in spirit and truth. Today we turn our attention to another such man, the one God called the man after His own heart.
We have talked about David a couple of times already in our study of woship, but today we see why David’s praise and worship was so touching to God’s heart. David wasn’t given to empty praise. He didn’t just praise God because that was what he was supposed to do. No, David praised God because he knew Him as a dear friend. He knew God’s character and trusted God’s character to be ever true. And because he knew God, he couldn’t stand by and watch God be made fun of by something as small in comparison to God as a giant was.
Goliath was not a small man. He had likely been using his size to intimidate others for years. And no doubt that is what got him the position in the Philistine army. But David wasn’t intimidated by him. Why? Because Goliath mocked God and David was not OK with that happening. David knew that God was not to be mocked and he wasn’t going to stand by and let it happen, even if he had to stand alone. That’s how it is when our closest friends are mocked, isn’t it? We won’t allow them to be spoken badly about no matter what it may mean for ourselves. Why? Because of love. We love them and when they are being lied about we forget about ourselves and stand to fight for their honor. This was the love that David had for God. He knew God intimately enough to stand and defend His name with little to no thought of himself. That is a level of intimacy that isn’t reached by a mere acquaintance.
Not many of us will have to fight a giant for God but how many of us are willing to defend His name when we hear it being used in vain? If we aren’t in close enough relationship with Him to want to defend Him in things that may seem as small as a wrong use of His name, how do we expect to stand tall for Him when the giants come?
Making It Personal
What level of relationship would you say you have with God? Would you be willing to go into a fight for Him? How much do you stand for Him in the little things?
Making It Personal Kids
Is Jesus your friend? Would you stand up for Him? Would you stand up for Him even if others made fun of you or you were to get hurt?
Closing Prayer
Father, thank You for wanting a close relationship with us. Help us build that with You. May You never have to wonder if we will stand up for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.
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