I Samuel 17:12-50   You Can Win Your Battle            January 4, 2009

  Stan Mikita, a hockey star with the Chicago Black Hawks, was considered the greatest hockey center in the 1960s.  In his early years, Mikita was among the most penalized players in the league, but he then decided to play a cleaner game and went on to win twice the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanlike conduct. Mikita's drastic change in behavior came when his wife told him that while their daughter was watching the Black Hawks on television, she turned and said, "Mommy, why does Daddy spend so much time sitting down?"  Mikita became a hockey great by learning how to play smarter and not just play harder.

   We are in the second sermon of a series on the Life of David.  And today in our scriptures David had to learn how to fight smarter to reach his goal.  He could not just try harder because the fight was too big.  How about you today?  Do you have some goal in life, some battle you are fighting, that seems just too big?  Well, today I want to help you move forward in reaching that goal, in winning that fight.  I hope by the end of this message you will be ready to finish this sentence: “With God’s help, I will begin immediately to carry out the following goal in my life…”

     We all know this story of David and Goliath.  It is among the most famous stories in the Bible.  But there is much more here than we saw as children.  It is not only about a boy who defeats a giant.  It is about three principles that we can use to defeat the giants that we face.  

  First of all, David had to trust God to help him achieve his goal of defeating Goliath.  David knew he could not do this alone, but he had faith that with God, he could do all things.  The same is true for you and me.   Now David faced many people who tried to fill him with negative thinking.  The first sight of Goliath was enough to put fear into every other man on the battle field.  Next, his brothers told him to go back home.  Finally, Saul tells David point blank in vs 33, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him.  You are only a boy.”  Let me ask you: how many negative thoughts are keeping you from reaching your goal.  I do not know what goal you have right now in your life but I do know that whatever you try to achieve in this life, there will be negative people, words, and thoughts that will try to make you quit. Do not quit.  Even if you have fallen a hundred times before, you can try again.  Like an Olympic runner who stumbles and falls, you can get up and run again.  And you do not have to wait four years for the next Olympics.  If you have failed in reaching your goal today, you can get up and try again tomorrow.  And when you win, all your failures will be of no account.  You will be there with you own gold medal of victory.  But you must not quit.  Ignore those negative thoughts.  You must trust in the Lord.  When Saul told David that he could not win, David responded, “The Lord will deliver me.”  That is trust.  That is faith.  Proverbs 3 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”   David’s first principle was to trust in the Lord.

      Secondly, we must balance faith in God with a willingness to do the work that must be done.  Some Christians go to extremes.  They talk all about faith but they do nothing.  God is ready to help you but you too have work to do.   In Ephesians 2:8-10, Paul says that we are saved by faith and not by our works.  Then he says that we are made by God to do God’s good works which were planed for us.   So which is it?  Do we have faith in God alone or do we have work to do?  Well, the Bible says it is both.  The story of David facing Goliath beautifully shows this truth.  David could not face Goliath alone.  He had to have faith and trust in God.  But David had to go forth and do the job.  Look at vs 40.  David took his staff.  David stopped down at the creek to get five smooth stones.  David had his sling in his hand.   Listen.  David did not just pray to God to fix his problem and then wait for Goliath to fall down.  Neither did David just walk onto the battle field empty handed.  No.  David did what he needed to do and he took what he needed to take to win the fight.  What do you need to win your fight?   If you are going to reach your goal and win your fight you need the right tools for you.  You need to think long and hard about what you need to do.  And listen, you need the right plan if you are going to find success.  You know, King Saul wanted to outfit David in his armor, but it did not fit.  It was not made for David.  It was not what David needed.  You cannot do just any old plan, wearing any old armor, to win your fight.  You need the right plan, with the right stones and sling.  And you must do what you must do.  God did not hand David the stones and the sling.  David had to do that work for himself.  David had to walk onto the battle field and face the giant. 

     David trusted God.  David did the needed work.  But finally, David had already prepared himself to win long before this day.  David had spent a long time practicing with his sling and staff, facing lions and bears.  David had long trusted in God and sang his praises.  David had waited a long time and was patient for the right time to come.  Remember, the prophet Samuel had already secretly annointed David to be king but what was David doing in the meantime?  David was still watching sheep. Pracicing with his sling.  David was at home helping his father with chores.  David was delivering groceries to his brothers.  You know, many of us would have said, “Hey, I am supposed to be king someday.  I do not have time to do these small potato things.  I do not need to study or practice with this sling anymore.  I do not want to go delivering groceries.”  But listen.  It was this very preparation and this very openness to the small tasks which led David to his day of success.  The same will be true for you and me.  I am convinced that God passes over some people because they fail to prepare and are not ready.  They have not studied.  They have not practiced.  They have not been faithful in the small things and so they are not able to do the big things.  Jesus said, “The person who is faithful in small things will be given the big things.”  Whatever you are doing, large or small, do your very best.  Do the little things each day.  Study for success.  Prepare yourself for your future.  And when you are ready, your time will come.  You will overcome all the negative thoughts.  You will trust in the Lord.  You will do the work.  And you will reach the goal. 

    Today as you come to the Lord’s Table, evaluate these principles from the life of David.  Trust in the Lord.  Do the work that you must do.  Prepare yourself to do what God wants you to do.  As you come to the table, pray that the Holy Spirit will impress on your heart which one of these you need most to apply right now.  Then pray and ponder this statement: With God’s help, I will begin immediately to carry out the following goal in my life…”   You can win over the giant in your life.  Do not quit.  Prepare.  Trust.  Work.  Amen.