THIS GIANT ALSO!

THIS GIANT ALSO!

1 Sam 17:34-36

34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:

35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.

36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

           We celebrate the courage of the hero because we do not see his fear. Did David not see nor consider the size of his enemy? No, he saw him. Inside he must have trembled but he kept that a secret between him and his God.

           The shepherd’s duty is to the flock (verse 34). He did not kill the lion and bear for sport or trophy. He did it because they were a threat to the flock. He caught the lion by the beard. That must have been a daunting thing. The first thought must have been to flee but he stood for the flock.

           When the enemy captured David’s family at Ziklag (1 Sam 30), his own army was so grieved for their own loss they wanted to stone David. (1 Sam 30:6). David was suffering the same grief but they wanted to throw a sacrifice into the cauldron of confusion. But David encouraged himself in the Lord!

(See Psalm 35)

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.