Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8
Each day, Goliath the giant Philistine taunted the Israelite army, trying to pick a fight. And every day, the Israelites shook in fear. But then a shepherd boy named David showed them it was all about perspective. The Israelites saw the same giant he saw. They looked at his size, strength and armor. But David saw that Goliath was not circumcised. All males in Israel were circumcised on the eighth day to signify they belonged to the covenant between God and His people. This covenant meant they belonged to the Lord’s family and were positioned underneath its provision, power and covering. So, no circumcision meant no spiritual covering.
The Israelite men saw a giant. But David saw his Heavenly Father. He didn’t need any physical armor because he had His spiritual armor. And David approached Goliath in the full power of God’s name. He said, “I come to you in the name of Jehovah Tsaba.” The name Tsaba essentially means “army or host.” Since David knew the Lord of the army, he was confident the victory was his.
Satan knows your weaknesses and how to paralyze you in fear. But remember that perspective is never just what you see. Perspective is how you view what you see. So boldly give your battles to Jesus and allow Him to defeat your giants. Then give Him all the glory in the victory. Allow His faithfulness to give you courage the next time a giant taunts you. And faithfully intercede for the president and his team that they too would approach adversity in the name of Jehovah Tsaba.
Today’s Verse: 1 Peter 5:8
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Recommended for further reading: 1 Samuel 17:41-50
1 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.
All Scripture quotations and audio are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
