Meditation

Read 1 Samuel 17:24-37

David said, moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.—1 Samuel 17:37 (KJV)

When David saw Goliath, he felt called to fight for the honor of God and God’s people. But King Saul doubted him, and David watched as all of the other Israelites ran away in fear. These things could have discouraged young David or caused him to be afraid. But he fully trusted in the power of the Almighty and refused to let anything deter him from fighting Goliath.

We each have our own Goliath. It could be job loss, poor grades, an unhealthy relationship, a bad boss, or a pandemic. These struggles can seem insurmountable. They can cause panic and fear. But we can always have hope because God is with us, and, like David, we can beat Goliath.

When I resigned from my job in 2015, I did not have a plan, and new jobs were hard to find. But I remembered David’s example, and I told myself that God would help me too. In time I got a better job.

As the people of God, we can rise above any setback. We are not overcome by our challenges. No matter what we face, we can feel capable with the Almighty by our side.

Prayer: Almighty God, just as you helped David, help us to rise above the challenges set before us. Amen.

Thought for the day: I will not be intimidated by any situation because God is by my side.

—Joseph Tosin, Nigeria