Pam Padgett - teacher
In 1Samuel 17 we're told of the Philistines coming into the land God had given to the children of Israel and wanting Israel to serve them. They seemed mighty and powerful, especially Goliath who defied (opposed boldly and openly) Israel with his talk ...
1 Samuel 17:8 And he (Goliath) stood and cried unto the armies of Israel,
and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am
not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you,
and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to
kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him,
and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. 10 And the
Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man,
that we may fight together. 11 When Saul and all Israel heard those
words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
But David did not fear Goliath. He knew that Goliath and the Philistines could not stand before the power of God as HE delivered HIS people ...
1 Samuel 17:36 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.
God delivered Goliath into David's hand to kill, and the Philistines fled from before the armies of Israel.
Today, those of the world sometimes boldly oppose us as we are led by the Holy Spirit. Not understanding the
ways of God and that we are led by God, they defy what God has told us to do. (The woman who verbally attacked me when I was led to help my next-door neighbor who was in a rehab hospital is an example of this.)
Even that we turn to God with
our concerns and to know what to do seems foolish to them as they trust in their own ideas.
But God is able to establish us in what HE has told us, and they cannot rule over us.