Does your faith ever waver? When you are faced with something that is bigger than yourself do you lose heart? If you find yourself in that place where your world has been upended and only God can make things right, I encourage you to give yourself a quick history lesson. Has God ever delivered you in the past? Has he ever come through in a pinch stopping you from doing something that would be a huge mistake or helping you in a situation that is far beyond your abilities or that extends beyond your resources? If he has then I encourage you to have faith that he can do it again. David’s faith was strong - so strong that he knew God would deliver Goliath into his hands even though Goliath was more than a physical match for him. His faith was unwavering because he remembered how God helped him in the past and he knew that God could do it again. It says in First Samuel, chapter 17, verses 36 and 37:
“Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”
David’s faith level may sound extreme, but it shouldn’t. He remembered what we all should know, that God is bigger than any circumstance. We should not depend only on what we see with our eyes, because God is at work in ways we cannot see. Every one of us may find ourselves faced with our personal “Goliath”. We may be faced with a situation, an adversary, or a problem that without the help of God would certainly crush us. When that happens, we should do what David did. We should remember what God has done for us in the past, and remember that he can do it again. If you are in that place right now, I encourage you to allow your faith to be fueled by reflecting on God’s track record. If he has delivered you in the past, know that he will do it again.
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David had a long track record with God. He was able to quickly reflect on how God delivered him from the lion and the bear, knowing that if God helped him to overcome those physical barriers, then he could help him overcome this one as well. And if David were to face a mental, emotional, relational, financial, or health issue, he may be able to remember a time when God aided him through those challenges as well and could use those experiences to help him know that God could deliver him again. If you have a long track record with God, you can do the same. But what if you are new to the faith? What if your track record with God is short? You may have a difficult time identifying a time when God delivered you. If that is the case, I would encourage you to lean on the experiences of others - those of whom you know God has intervened. Or lean on scripture, like this account in First Samuel, where he showed up for David in a mighty way. The Bible reminds us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. If he showed up for David, or for someone you know, then he can do the same for you. But you must have faith.
