Have you ever heard that someone can’t see the forest for the tree? What does that mean? It means that they are caught up in what they see in front of them, instead of focusing on the bigger picture. If we are honest, we are all guilty of this at various points in our life. The key for a Christian, is to be able to humbly step back and pray that God can help you see the bigger picture. David, even at a young age, was able to do that. Proof of this, was the conversations he had with king Saul and with Goliath. David told king Saul before going out to battle Goliath, that God had already prepared him for the task of defeating Goliath. David said that God delivered David out of danger from a lion and a bear that had attacked his father’s sheep. For David, Goliath was just like this lion and bear. Then, when David went into the valley to fight Goliath, David told Goliath that God would fight for him and defeat Goliath. But it was about more than just defeating Goliath or defeating the Philistines as David says in 1 Samuel 17:46. 1 Samuel 17:46 says, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.”
Notice for David, this was about more than just defeating a giant, or Israel defeating their enemy. For David, this was about those nations and peoples around them seeing the power of God, and coming to worship Him as the one true God. I believe this is a timely chapter and story for what we are experiencing with COVID-19. The next to remember is, the story of David and Goliath isn’t about David. The story is about God, His power to deliver His children from danger, and to save them from all enemies. The biggest picture of all of this is the message of salvation. In that understanding, Goliath represents sin. The valley that David and Goliath met in to fight, represents the impossibility of man to bring himself to God on his own. Yet, God provided someone to fight this battle against sin, and make it possible for God to redeem us and bring us to Himself. This story is a beautiful picture of God’s plan of redeeming sinful mankind to Himself. The main takeaway from this is, we need to step back and see the bigger picture. It’s not just about what we are experiencing right now, it is about what God is going to do in the bigger scheme of things. I know things seem crazy right now, but do not fear. We don’t have to worry about what we don’t know, because there is an all-knowing, all-powerful God who knows what is going on, and has a plan for it all. Rest and trust in Him for the details of your day-to-day, but also with your life.
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin