"This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.
And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands."
1 Samuel 17
This could be faith, confidence, and showmanship, but I think there has to be a little bit of prophecy mixed into David's speech, even at this young age. He knew that the Lord was going to win the day, and that he was just the means.
I like the idea here that God isn't about overwhelming force or winning because he can be the bigger bully, but that dedication to the Lord makes all of that not matter... God is in charge, not just of this battle, but all of our battles, and if we stop thinking of things as just contests of strength, our minds might be free enough to taste a little bit of David's brand of confidence. He wasn't stronger, or better at killing. He just knew that God was on his side. And I think that is something that can absolutely work in our lives as well. If we are doing our best and working for righteousness, God can and will clear the way before us to accomplish his work.
Today, let's focus on doing, and being, good... on not playing the game as the world presents it to us, but on doing things God's way. As we do, we will find it is the best way, no matter the comparisons and calculations of the world.
