Your servant killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God! – 1 Samuel 17:36, Amplified Bible (AMP)

There is an old saying that goes like this:

Whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.

There is an element of truth in the saying, for each time you survive a trial, it prepares you to face the next trial that comes your way.

One of David’s greatest triumphs of faith came when he conquered the Philistine giant, Goliath, as a ruddy, poorly armed youth. With a sling, a stone, and faith in the God of Heaven, David became a champion to the people of his time and to people for generations to come. Yet, I wonder what David’s attitude towards Goliath would have been had he not battled the bear and the lion of 1 Samuel 17. Would David have been scared of Goliath, like everyone else? Would he have stayed on the sidelines, looking for some other champion to face the giant? We’ll never know for sure, but I strongly believe that, had God not shown David His ability to deliver in the matters of the bear and of the lion, then David’s faith in God to deliver him from Goliath would have been weak – maybe even nonexistent – and the tale of David and Goliath would have never existed.

I doubt that David wanted to fight the bear or the lion. My guess is that he would have preferred to enjoy restful nights with the sheep rather than have to fight off wild beasts trying to devour his flock. But, by having to put his life in God’s hands when trouble attacked him in the past, David learned through experience to trust God for his future battles. It was precisely because of his unwelcome battles with bear and with lion that David became the only man in all of Israel valiant enough to face Goliath, and it will be through our battles today that God will prepare us to trust Him for the battles of our future.

It’s never fun or convenient to fight saber-toothed enemies. Yet, when those enemies come, attack back in the strength and in the trust of The Lord. If you do, you will learn to depend on God in a way that most people will never understand, and you will likely find that it is your calling to take on the giant when no one else has the courage to do so. If and when that times comes, will you put your life in God’s hands?

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