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Courage Through Confidence
The Philistines had gathered their armies against the people of God between Socoh and Azekah in the area of the valley of Elah. Only the narrow valley separated the two powers and a “fight of the finish” seemed to be imminent. The Philistines had chosen Goliath, a hulking mass of a man from Gath, to champion their cause. Periodically, the giant’s booming voice could be heard echoing across the valley as he taunted the Israelites. “Choose you a man and let the two of us fight for the victory!” he screamed. “If he kills me, the Philistines will become the servants of the Israelites!” he bellows. But the men of Israel were afraid and shrank back in avoidance, weighing before in their minds the outcome of such an uneven conflict. No one in the entirety of the Israelite camp was obliged to accommodate the challenges of the Gathian giant.
David was a young, ruddy but handsome lad who was charged with “keeping the home fires burning.” He had come to the Israelite camp to supply his older brothers with the things needed for the continuance of the fray. Hearing of the stalemate caused by the Philistine giant’s challenge, he immediately, and with great courage, accepted the invitation to do battle for God. Armed with only a shepherd’s sling and five smooth stones, he attacked and killed the taunting monster of a man.
David’s confidence was apparent from the very beginning. Obviously, his courage was predicated on the immense faith he possessed that God was able to deliver him from the hand of the Philistine. And God did so.
Confidence in God is indispensable to accomplishing all that He has requested of us. Only when we are firmly convinced of His ability to deliver us can we courageously attack whatever powers are arrayed against us. Like David, we must put our total trust in Him and His way.
David is not the only one who showed such undaunted confidence in the assurances of God. This same abiding faith caused Noah to build the ark; caused Moses to lead the children of Israel away from Pharaoh and out of Egypt; caused Joshua and his people to defeat Jericho with obedience and a shout; caused kingdoms to be conquered; led to acts of righteousness in the face of intense pressure; and ennobled the faithful in all ages. Confidence in the face of adversity. Courage gained for battle.
We need this kind of trusting faith in God today. The battle forces of evil are advancing at an alarming pace and sadly, many shrink back at the giant of ungodliness as he openly thumbs his nose at truth and holiness, and the people of God who practice such. If we aren’t careful we turn away rather than face the powers of evil–even in our own lives. We’re afraid of the giant! Why? A lack of confidence in the promises of God, that’s why. And when I say that I don’t mean merely giving intellectual acquiescence to the fact that God exists–we will admit that–but do we have faith in His promises? Confidence in God means believing all that He has said.
God will punish evil and reward good. Do we believe that? We must have a confident expectation of the coming judgment. And though some may taunt and ask, as in II Peter 3, “where is the promise of his coming?...for all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation,” we must remember that “God is not slack concerning His promise..” (verse 9) and “the day of the Lord will come,” (verse 10). Only faith in God can give us confidence when the judgment day comes.
David believed in the delivering power of God. He took his faith in God and the talent God had given him, along with the tools he possessed and went out to fight and ultimately to gain the victory.
We all have our giants to face, our difficulties that confront us. But we have the power to overcome. Only when we are confident that “God is” and that He “will reward those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6) will we find the courage to overcome sin and its obstacles and the various huge enemies we face in life.
Let us lay aside our doubts. Let us cast out our fear. Let us put aside our hesitations and every dubiety which might inhibit our efforts. Let us say boldly–and with confidence–“the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what men shall do to me” (Hebrews 13:6), and “let us come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
