All In How We See It

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 17:26, Then David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

What was the secret to David’s courage in facing Goliath? The short answer? Perspective. Yes, perspective made the difference between how Saul and Israel responded to Goliath’s challenge and threats, and how David stood up to Goliath. In verse 25 we read, “So the men of Israel said, ‘Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and it shall be that the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches, will give him his daughter, and give his father’s house exemption from taxes in Israel.’” Note how the men of Israel saw the threat, “Surely he has come up to defy Israel”. Whereas David saw it this way, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” Israel made this fatal error when God was trying to lead them in to the Promise Land. In Numbers 13:31-33 we are told, “But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.’ 32 And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. 33 There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.’” In both these instances Israel compared their challenges to themselves, and saw themselves dwarfed in comparison. David, on the other hand, compared Goliath to God which dwarfed Goliath. As God’s children, as Jesus followers, we must remember what we are told in Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Isaiah 54:17 also says that “No weapon formed against you shall prosper”. When we put faith in our own ability to accomplish a God-sized tasks, or when we view life’s challenges from the perspective of how big we are in comparison, we will always set ourselves up for failure. When we view life’s challenges, circumstances, and tasks, in comparison to how big God is, we cannot help but go forward with confidence, not in our ability to overcome, but in God’s ability to do what needs to be done to have the victory. In Christ, we can overcome whatever obstacles stand in our way, as long as we are walking intimately with Jesus, living out His will and plan for our lives. Jesus told us in John 16:33, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The bottom line? Our failures or victories will often be determined by our perspective. Are we putting our faith in ourselves or in God?

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).