A David Faith in a Goliath World 

As you and I seek courage to face a gathering spiritual storm in America, the new land of giants, we must begin by answering fundamental questions. Is love for God our ultimate motivation? And is our love for God sufficient to motivate us to do whatever it takes, to learn whatever we need to know, to live in whatever way necessary as followers of Christ to draw close to our heavenly Father and bring Him glory?

It was for David. His extraordinary courage in Elah was not a momentary surge of valor ignited by a few intense seconds of confrontation, but a consistent expression of faith forged through long years of discipleship. Many have wondered why, after God decided to end Saul’s disobedient reign (1 Sam. 15), He took so long, up to ten years, to replace him with David. My answer is: that’s how long it took God to prepare David. When David appeared that day in Elah, he’d already been for years on the path of discipleship as an enrollee in God’s program of shaping courageous souls. Because David had faithfully, lovingly, and hopefully completed that “way to brave,” he already possessed marvelous, love-empowered courage.

In 1 Samuel 16, this became obvious when Samuel asked Jesse to present his seven sons so that one could be selected king. The eldest, Eliab, was almost a Saul-clone—so tall, so handsome that Samuel immediately concluded he had his guy. “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart’” (1 Sam. 16:7). God was commanding Samuel to behold, not His physical handiwork in Eliab’s good looks, but His discipleship handiwork in David’s faithful heart: “My heart, O God, is steadfast, my heart is steadfast” (Ps. 57:7). And so it was for David, not fickle and afraid but grateful and courageous, with eyes fixed on God long before his eyes fell on Goliath. David’s words in Psalm 18 teach us that his courage in the Valley of Elah did not derive from fear overcome, but love pursued. “I love you, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I called to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies” (Ps. 18:1–3). David did not fight because God took away his fear. David fought because love empowered his faith.

 To discover more about The Way to Brave by Pastor Andy McQuitty, visit thewaytobrave.com.