Ep 593 – 1 Samuel 17:31-40

David and Goliath. Those two names are so familiar to us that we almost always associate them with some moral story about facing the giants in life. And when we do, we forget the context of the original event and the true message that God is trying to convey through the lives of these two men. As we so often do, we take the stories found in the Old Testament and make them all about the individual involved. We stress the faith of Abraham and then try to emulate it. We study the leadership skills of Moses and attempt to apply them in our business. We read about David facing a literal giant in his life and we try to turn it into a lesson on fearlessness and faithfulness against all odds. And it's not that we're wrong for doing so. It's just that we tend to miss the point of the passage. The story of David and Goliath is not really about either man. They aren't the stars of this drama, God is. Yes, this is a story about insurmountable odds, formidable foes, and unlikely victories. But it's also about the power of God. David was a shepherd boy. Goliath was a larger-than-life, battle-seasoned warrior. But David had something Goliath didn't have. And it wasn't his faith. It was his God.