And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us! 1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)
There are so many ways to unpack the story of David and Goliath but one thing really stands out. David’s understanding of whose battle it was.
When Saul told David he was too young and inexperienced, David points back to God. In verse 37 he says “The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” Did David have to take risk going to meet a giant? Yes. Did David have to step into an uncomfortable situation where the outcome was not determined? Yes. Did David have to prepare for the battle and collect his weapon (five smooth stones)? Absolutely.
But there was one thing David did that we find hard to do. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt who was in charge of this battle. He knew this was not about him. He knew it was about God. And he knew God was going to fight the battle for him.
One time during a prayer meeting, the leader asked us to take a piece of paper and write down all the things we were worried about. Then, they asked us to put the items into two columns. In the first column put the things that we can do something about. In the second column put the things we have no control over. It was an eye-opening exercise. Most of the things I was worried about I could do nothing to solve. They were beyond my control.
Those were God’s. Those are the things I should be in prayer about and the things I should leave in more capable hands. Just like David, we too can prepare for battle and use our weapons. Our weapons are prayer, the Word of God and our relationship with Jesus. We also need to remember whose battle this is. It’s not ours. It’s God’s.