Running Quickly Toward the Giant

Schindler's "David und Goliath"It was long, long ago. The story goes that young David had been sent to deliver some food to his brothers who were at the battle front, camped across a valley from the Philistines. As he arrived, he heard Goliath mocking the ragtag army of Israel. Not only that, he was mocking their God.

David burst out in indignation, asking who was going to go take this man out. "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine," David protested, "that he should defy the armies of the living God?" David was, according to the Biblical record, a "handsome, ruddy" youth, but nevertheless, he was still a kid ... a kid expressing Really Big Ideas to grownups who had allowed fear to overtake them.

Called upon to repeat his challenge before the king, who had heard of this kid spewing bravado, it didn't take David long to offer to kill Goliath himself. Unthinkable! He was just a youth with a seemingly big mouth and faith too big for his britches. After trying on Saul's armor and discarding it in disgust (it was too limiting), David elected to approach Goliath with just his sling and his little shepherd's bag.

Goliath spotted David approaching, and couldn't believe his eyes. Once again he began hurling insults--insults and threats against David, delivered in the abusive language of bullies: David must think he was a dog. David was stupid. Goliath would deliver his flesh to the birds of the air and the wild animals. And so on.

Here comes the amazing part, the part I've been mulling over. Turning Goliath's insults back on him, David hollered his challenge to Goliath across the wadi, ending with the assertion that "the battle is the Lord's" as he "ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine."

What on earth was David thinking? The king, the army, and his brothers were all back at the Israelite camp where they'd been cowering in fear of this giant. They had every reason to be fearful. They had every reason to draw back while they tried to cook up some solution to the threat looming over them.

Instead, this ruddy kid runs out there to meet the gigantic threat. Doesn't just face it, doesn't just walk toward it, but runs. With all the speed he has. And he takes out the only ammunition he has, something he is gifted at using ... and gets the job done.

What giant is facing you? What would it mean to run quickly toward the battle line with that giant? And what do you have in your possession, something that has already proven to be your strength, that you can use to win the battle? It's something to consider; we all have our giants and we each have at least some tool in our hand.

David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. 1 Sam. 17:48