David was a man of many passions. He loved God. He loved people. He was a shepherd, poet, singer, musician, warrior, and king. In fact, even in his youth his heart was transparent. God himself called him, “a man after mine own heart.” (Acts 13:22) David’s humility and great love for God never failed to bring him to a place of repentance when he failed God. Perhaps one of the greatest acts of love for God and for his people was shown when he faced fear and slew the giant Goliath as a young man.

Goliath was a Philistine warrior from Gath. It was the time of war and the Philistine army gathered in Judah to attack Israel. Instead of the armies fighting an all-out war, Goliath, the mighty Philistine champion challenged any one man from Israel to a fight. If Goliath, beat that man, then all of Israel would be their slaves, but if a warrior from Israel beat Goliath then the Philistines would serve them. Under the leadership of King Saul, not one man in Israel would accept the challenge, even though Goliath repeated it every day for 40 days! Why? The Bible tells us they were afraid, and rightfully so. Goliath wore a 200-pound chainmail coat, bronze armor, a thick bronze javelin tipped with a 25-pound spearhead, and a humongous shield…and did we mention he was over 9 feet tall! (1 Samuel 17:4) One man, one fight…that’s it! The winner took all.

Being too young to be a soldier, David was sent to check on his older brothers and take them some food. It just so happens that he arrived just in time to hear Goliath’s challenge. Moved with indignation at the audacity of this enemy of God, David volunteers to fight him. When King Saul questions his sanity, David tells him that as a shepherd defending his sheep, he had already single handedly killed both a lion and a bear and this giant of a man would die the same death. You see David’s love for God caused him to take action. Because David made a habit of putting his strength where his faith was, he uttered these words to the King, “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.” (1 Samuel 17:37) Armed with only five stones and a slingshot David stood before Goliath and said, “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.” AND DAVID DID JUST THAT…he ran at Goliath, threw one stone from his slingshot and hit him in the forehead. Goliath fell down on his face. Then David cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword! The rest of the Philistines were defeated that day by Israel’s army. David’s great love for God caused him to act…to do something. He used his physical strength to get moving for the Lord.

James explains that, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.” (James 2:17-18) Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), but often times that faith requires us to do something. It requires us to use our strength. Just like with David, using that strength requires us to stand up to fear and that Sis, requires us to truly love God.

Dear Sister, is fear keeping you from loving God with all your strength? Are you not doing something God has told you to do because you are afraid? Remember that God would never ask you to do something that He has not already equipped you to do. Trust in God's love for you and let your love for Him cause you to add actions to your faith and slay the giants in your life as well! You are a lot stronger than you think!