David's Preparation for Victory

Read: 1 Samuel 17:19-25

1 Samuel 17:19–25 KJV 1900

19 Now Saul, and they, and all the men of Israel, were in the valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose up early in the morning, and left the sheep with a keeper, and took, and went, as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench, as the host was going forth to the fight, and shouted for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had put the battle in array, army against army. 22 And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. 24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel.

Amazing feats and challenges are never made on a whim or simple desire.

On May 25, 2001 Eric Weihenmayer became the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

Eric was diagnosed at 15 months old, with juvenile retinoschisis {retin-ah-skissis} and was told he would go blind by the age of 13.

At 16 he started using a guide dog, and tried rock climbing. He found he was a natural at scrambling up the rocks using his hands and feet to find holds.

Eric describes the mountain like this:

“...Below the top is the South Summit, separated from the true summit by a knife-edge ridge the width of a picnic table. On the right of the ridge is a 12,000-foot drop into Tibet and, on the left, a 9,000-foot drop into Nepal. Next comes the infamous Hillary Step, 50 feet of vertical rock, just 300 feet from the top, a tiny island in the sky at 29,029 ft.”

Only 10% of the people who attempt to climb Mount Everest ever make it to the top.

For every 6 people that summit 1 dies.

He goes on to explain that climbing Mount Everest took two years of planning, and a year of physical training.

Yet on May 25th 2001 Eric and his 18 member team scaled the last wall and stood on the summit in victory.

While David goes out and seems to triumph against Goliath in a moment of overflowing zeal, the truth of the matter - David had been preparing for this moment for years, even though he probably didn’t even realize he was training.

Sometimes our hard spots - are preparing us for something greater ahead.

I saw recently in rereading the life of David in the Scriptures that many things helped prepare David for this moment. I want to share them with you and I think we can learn and glean from them.

David had begun and nurtured a relationship with God.

Saul disobeyed the Lord and lost the kingdom

In Secret Samuel is told of the Lord to go to Jesse’s house and there he would find the next king.

All of David’s brothers were passed over (they may have been good people - but God could see their hearts and knew they were not king material) David however, as soon as Samuel sees him, knows he is the one. But this was all hush, hush and necessarily so. 1 Sam. 16:13,23

But out in the hillside while tending the sheep - David no doubt had worn out several harps singing to and praising God. Writing Psalms of praise and adoration. He knew God and God knew Him.

David was not dependent on Formal Training or Attire (1 Samuel 17:33)

We have to be careful - I think we need to constantly be learning, especially ministers and church leaders. Expanding our knowledge of the Bible and of God. But we dare not depend on that alone - we have a relationship with God not with knowledge or education.

The armor that Saul had, was good armor, but David hadn’t tested it, he hadn’t tried it - but He Had Proven God - he had a relationship with Him and he was Depending alone on Him.

David wasn’t after fame

He wasn’t out to be known (even though remember as best as I can understand he had already been anointed king)

King Saul doesn’t even know David’s name (He asks Abner according to 1 Sam. 17:55-58 after he was leaving to fight Goliath)

He was after God to be glorified and His enemies destroyed.

David God rid of his baggage -

1 Samuel 17:22 says, “And David left his “carriage” [KJV] but it really means an open bag -

We have a tendency to carry around a lot of things don’t we.

Things we don’t know enough (a mystery bag)

Things we know too much about (cares)

Things that weigh us down (burdens)

Things that slow us down (weights and besetting temptations)

All kinds of things

But David left his baggage with someone else before he ever fought Goliath.

There are times we are going to have to leave the things we don’t know about, the things we know too much about, the things that weigh and slow us down at Jesus feet - before we can fight like we are supposed to.

The armor of God is to protect us and help us - not our bags of things.

Sometimes I feel so sorry for the homeless that I pass along Broadway and other areas in town - here they are without home or resting place, but they’ve got a shopping cart or some other basket carrying all of their earthly belongings in -

But we do that sometimes don’t we - we just pick up the bags and carry them everywhere we go.

David couldn’t have fought Goliath with this big old bag slung on his back - he had to let it go.

I’ve often been curious about this one - but David was zealous for a cause

Sometimes we are hardly stirred - or moved when Goliath roars today -

But there’s a cause worth fighting for

I’ve been praying God fill me with zeal - Jesus was overcome with zeal when he cleansed the temple That’s what the Bible says - “The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up”

So when we think of David going and fighting the giant - remember it wasn’t on a whim or a notion - it had taken a long time to get him there -

I pray God would preparing us and that we would be getting close to see some spiritual giants come crashing down soon.

Cultivate and nurture your relationship with God (Only two things you can do with it - Nuture or neglect it)

Don’t depend on our own understanding and opinons - depend on God

Don’t seek after fame or recognition - seek God and His kingdom

Get rid of baggage

BE ZEALOUS!!!

Giants will fall!!!