1 Samuel 17:38-45
And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him. And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield went before him. And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

David didn’t need Saul’s armor or Saul’s weapons. He didn’t need to match up to Goliath in size or ability. He didn’t need the support of the army of Israel or his brothers. He went forth wholly trusting in God. For 40 days Israel had been paralyzed by their fear, unwilling to engage Goliath and the Philistines in battle. But when David shows up, in a short time he has decided his course, hasted toward the enemy, and watched God bring about a great victory.

God was the sword and shield, so to speak. As David trusted Him, God would defend him. As he went forth in faith, God would fight for him. No matter the obstacles, no matter how dire the situation may have seemed, no matter that he had to go alone, David was willing and able because he relied fully on God. He knew God well, and so he knew God was capable, and he knew it was worthy to defend God’s glory against those who defied Him. And so a sling, a stone, and his shepherd’s staff toppled the giant. The battle truly was the Lord’s.

How are we facing the obstacles and challenges that arise in our lives? Are we taking up an unfamiliar sword that we cannot wield properly? Are we listening to the mockers and scorners around us? Are we letting fear overtake us and keep us frozen? Or are we trusting in God, fully and truly, believing His promises, going forward by faith, and letting Him take care of our giants as only He can? We can do so when we understand that God is bigger than anything that towers over us, more powerful than the strongest enemy we face, and able to do so much more than we could ever manage on our own.