David's Heart - Part 1

And David left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. As he talked with them, behold, the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, came up out of the ranks of the Philistines and spoke the same words as before. And David heard him. All the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were much afraid. And the men of Israel said, “Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel. And the king will enrich the man who kills him with great riches and will give him his daughter and make his father's house free in Israel.” And David said to the men who stood by him, “What shall be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” And the people answered him in the same way, “So shall it be done to the man who kills him.” (1 Samuel 17:22-27 ESV). One of my favorite characters in the Scripture is David. There is so much to be learned from his life. David had a heart that pleased God. This week, I hope we can begin to understand exactly why David’s heart pleased God. And, if that were the case, perhaps, if it so were your goal, you would choose to have such a heart. When David saw that the Philistine giant was teasing the Israelites, he wanted to know why. After all, God had already promised victory to the Israelites in battle. He had commanded them to rid the land of all those who did not follow God. The Philistines were still surviving. David knew the Scripture. He had pondered the ways of God out on the shepherd’s field. He knew that this Philistine, regardless of his size, was no match for a man of God. “So why hasn’t someone clobbered Goliath yet?” David must have thought! David put his faith in God, even when it didn’t make sense. Can a little boy beat up a huge giant? “Of course not” the world would say, but David knew it didn’t matter what was said against him, he was on the winning side! This was a faith that greatly pleased God. Are you up against some odds? Would the line makers say are the odds against you? Would the world tell you to throw in the towel? May I ask you something? Are you sure you are within God’s will for your life? Then what are you worried about? Victory is already declared! Your Goliath is dead! Jesus was our David in conquering our greatest enemy – sin and death! Our task is to line up with God regardless of the odds. It is a very daunting challenge, but one which will bring victory. Do you have the heart of David? If not, you can. Begin with a simple prayer for the Holy Spirit to rekindle your faith and strengthen your resolve.