King Saul and his army... paralyzed... by the taunts of Goliath...
The enemy... emerged each day... to shout down the Israelites...
Why have you come out to draw up for battle?
Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul?
Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.
1 Samuel 17:8 Amp
The Israelite army... let the enemy define them...
...servants of Saul...
King Saul... the one who... when chosen by lot to be king... hid in the piles of baggage...
King Saul... the one who... when ordered by God to utterly destroy the Amalekites.... disobeyed because he feared losing the people's loyalty if he destroyed all the best livestock...
The enemy identified the Israelites as... servants of Saul...
Saul... the one filled with the fear of man... and so were his servants...
All had forgotten their true identity... except one...
David...
David shows up on the fortieth day of this re-enactment... and asks...
For who is this uncircumcised Philistine
that he should defy the armies of the living God?
1 Samuel 17:26 Amp
David knew who they were... the armies of the living God... but they weren't listening... they only heard the taunts of the enemy...
This lyre-playing... psalm singing... shepherd boy... filled only with the fear of the Lord... went before King Saul... the one filled with the fear of man... and volunteered to take on Goliath...
Your servant killed both the lion and the bear;
and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them,
for he has defied the armies of the living God!
David said, The Lord Who delivered me out of the paw
of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will
deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
And Saul said to David, Go, and the Lord be with you!
1 Samuel 17:36-37 Amp
David knew whose He was... and Saul believed him...
Armed with sling... stones... and faith... David approached Goliath...
And the Philistine said to David,
Am I a dog, that you should come to me with sticks?
1 Samuel 17:43 Amp
The enemy... he tried to shape David's identity... as well...
Then said David to the Philistine,
You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin,
but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts,
the God of the ranks of Israel, Whom you have defied.
This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand,
and I will smite you and cut off your head. ...
1 Samuel 17:46-47 Amp
And that... is exactly... what he did...
When we allow the enemy... to identify us...
Worthless...
Sinner...
Failure...
we are paralyzed by the battle...
it becomes overwhelming...
The only one who truly knows us... and gives us a new identity in Christ... is God the Father... and you are not condemned... you are precious... worth dying for...
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither
death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:37-39 ESV
Not even the taunts... and lies... of the enemy...
no matter their source...
can change who you are... in... Him...
Learn more about who He says you are... consider joining The Journey...
This week's readings...
Monday 1 Samuel 19
Tuesday 1 Samuel 20-21
Wednesday 1 Samuel 22:1 - 23:14
Thursday 1 Samuel 23:15 - 24:22
Friday 1 Samuel 25
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