Provoked to Action

Week 5- Day 2

In 1 Samuel 17, David comes in the Name of The Lord of Hosts against Goliath’s sword, spear, and javelin and says, 'This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head ....that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that The Lord does not deliver by sword or spear; for the battle is the Lord's and He will give you into our hands." (V.45,46)

 Oh what powerful, faith-filled words. May they be on our lips.  "This day the Lord WILL……  so I will…….   to the glory of His Name!”

Saul and all of Israel were dismayed and greatly afraid of Goliath's taunts (1 Samuel 17:11). But David, who was only sent to find out how his brothers were doing and to take them 'bread and cheese’, came upon the scene and was provoked in his spirit by Goliath's taunts and was provoked to action. 

David's 'action' comes out of his utter dismay of "...who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the LIVING GOD?"         (1 Samuel 17:26).  

We should be asking that same question today in the midst of warfare.  May we, like David, realize Whose we are (on the side of the Living God), take our stand, and ‘fight’.  It is truth that “the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6), and David was the 'ONE' who rose up and took his place to overcome.  

As a result, "David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and he struck the Philistine and killed him; but there was no sword in David's hand." (1 Samuel 17:49,50). So here was a 'suddenly' after 40 days of, morning and evening, taunting and fear (verse 16).

Today we have, in a sense, closed our eyes and ears to 'the taunting Goliaths' (the lies and intimidations of the enemy) and have allowed them to dishearten and intimidate 'the troops'.  

"Is God waiting for someONE, someone like you, to stand up today against the taunting evil and show (the earth and the ‘assembly’) that there IS a God and that He is living and active and works in and thru us?"

I feel like that question comes with the sound of background inspiring music that invites us, each one, to stand up and be the one, like the 'to be continued' cliffhanger closing movie credits, a 'wait and see’ who will.  Who will stand?

 Let us be appalled at the taunting against the people of a Living God and at the fear and compromise that surrounds us, and let us take action.

 It is time for some Godly 'suddenlies' to take place. It is time to be strong, to allow the Word of God to abide in us, and to overcome the evil one.  (From 1 John 2:14)

Let us rise up and be the ones.

"This day the Lord WILL...

                        .....so I will...." 2 Sam. 17:46  

Move forward.

-Ask Him to show you where, even in your own life, the enemy is 'taunting' you in ways that have left you 'dismayed and greatly afraid' and have hindered you from moving forward. 

-What does the enemy’s ‘taunt’ sound like for you currently? And what is God’s truth (answer) to that taunt?

-David in this instance is only called by flesh and bone to be a delivery boy, aside from his normal shepherding. How does this encourage you as you come upon situations and feel like 'this' or 'that' is not your 'position' to take care of, or that no one on earth has called you to it? According to flesh, David was not called, and no one believed in him.  They only discouraged him, and we tend to use that as an excuse and reason not to attempt great things.  It’s so important to take God’s perspective over man’s!  What perspectives of yours need to be adjusted?


(This is part of a 6 week prayer strategy series. To return to 'watch the ramparts' homepage: click here)