David, a young fearless shepherd, was the only one willing to face Goliath, the enormous giant warrior in battle. Despite being overlooked and despised, David defended his prowess as a warrior by recounting to King Saul his secret wins- how he had killed a lion and a bear that had attacked his father’s flock.
1 Samuel 17:33-37: Then Saul said to David, “You can’t go fight this Philistine—for you’re just a youth, and he’s been a warrior since his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been tending his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it, struck it down, and rescued the lamb out of its mouth. If it rose up against me, I grabbed him by its fur, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear, so this uncircumcised Philistine will become like one of them—since he has defied the ranks of the living God.” 37 Then David said, “Adonai, who has delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” “Go!” said Saul to David, “and may Adonai be with you.”
David’s story encourages me to always THINK BIG when I feel defeated. That to achieve large success, hardships and setbacks are inevitable. David’s skill set was grown in isolation and in a humble beginning that was detested by many- being a shepherd instead of a warrior. Read more on David’s anointing here https://thelovetablet.com/2022/11/29/your-gift-unveils-your-type-of-leadership-davids-powerful-anointing/
Have you ever been in isolation- that dark bottomless pit that you needed to face alone? I have. It was not pretty. God sometimes prepares and develops our spirit of leadership in solitude. There is a season of lonesomeness but great spiritual growth for every believer. It can be painful- but it is worth it. Didn’t someone once say that what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?
Here was a young shepherd who had been despised by his own family in his own anointing service, at the battlefield when he brought food and God knows how many more times! Yet God was preparing him as the future king and a root of lineage to the Messiah.
It is written that David was a man after God’s heart. The spirit of leadership and God’s wisdom was being formed in him. David never looked down on himself. He successfully killed Goliath with nothing more than a sling and stone.
7 Lessons We Learn From David’s Spirit of Leadership
- David understood that as a human being, he was inherently born a leader. He had a strong self image that came from his source- God. Goliath relied on his physical size. David relied on the size of Adonai, his God.
1 Samuel: 41 Meanwhile, the Philistine drew nearer and approached David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 Now when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was just a ruddy boy with a handsome appearance. 43 Then the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, so I may give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You are coming to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I am coming to you in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot, God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This very day Adonai will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and take your head off you, and I will give the carcasses of the Philistines’ camp today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth. Then all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and so all this assembly will know that Adonai delivers not with sword and spear—for the battle belongs to Adonai—and He will give you into our hands.”
- Leadership is a result and not a pursuit. David through yielding results silenced insolent Debby downers like his own brother who want you to lose and remain small. He knew petty people cannot hurt you if you ignore them, think big enough and trash their attacks. It is also very sad that a lot of times desolation emanates from close relationships.
1 Samuel: 26Then David asked the men who were standing by him saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the ranks of the living God?” 27 The people answered him with the same speech saying, “Thus it will be done for the man who strikes him down.” 28 Now when Eliab his oldest brother heard him speaking to the men, Eliab’s anger was kindled against David. “Why have you come down here?” he asked. “So with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your insolence and the wickedness of your heart! For you’ve come down here to watch the battle.” 29 “What have I done now?” David said. “It was only a question!” 30 Then he turned away from him toward someone else and asked the same question. So the people gave him the same answer as before. 31 The words that David said were overheard and reported before Saul. So he was taken to him. 32 David said to Saul, “Let no one’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”
- Passion is born from purpose. David’s purpose was in offering a valuable contribution to his world. A deep conviction and determination to fight for his nation- one that he would lead in future. Read more on purposeful humility here: https://thelovetablet.com/2022/11/22/victory-is-to-humility-what-misery-is-to-pride/
- Little secret wins do count. David understood the spirit of excellence, unlimited ability and the possibilities within him. He knew his worth and experiences made him a worthy opponent.
1 Samuel 17:49: “And David stretched his hand into the bag, and took a stone therefrom, and slung it, and he hit the Philistine in his forehead, and the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.” A single shot and Goliath was dead. They battle was won as any shepherd with a little forethought, like the young David, could have done.
- Leadership is indeed service. Goliath had taunted Israel twice a day for forty days, but King Saul and his servants only cowered. David stepped up. Goliath never saw it coming.
- Never despise humble beginnings. The small shepherd boy was on an errand to bring refreshments to his brothers and check on them at the battlefront. David was the modern day pizza delivery boy, he was a seen as a gofer boy, not a warrior. Well, the gofer boy saved Israel that day.
David’s story is a constant reminder that when we face a battle of any kind:
- God has already gifted us with special tools that the enemy sternly undervalues.
- God’s holy spirit has deposited in all of us the full armour we need to be victorious.
- We are not couriers but warriors before God who looks at our hearts.
- Purpose gives our mere existence meaning.
- Purpose is the measure our success and failures.
- David relied on his in born purpose and spirit of leadership from God.
https://thelovetablet.com/2022/04/19/faith-it-till-you-secure-the-bag/
Bible Verses- David’s Triumph Over Goliath
1 Samuel 17 1 Now the Philistines assembled their armies to battle. They were gathered at Socoh of Judah, and camped in Ephes-dammim, between Socoh and Azekah. 2 Saul and the men of Israel gathered and camped in the valley of Elah, then lined up in battle array against the Philistines. 3 The Philistines were standing on the mountain on one side, and Israel was standing on the mountain on the other side, with the valley between them. 4 Then a champion stepped out from the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, from Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 He had a bronze helmet on his head and a breastplate of scale armor; the weight of the bronze breastplate was 5,000 shekels[a]. 6 He also had bronze shin-guards on his legs and a bronze javelin slung between his shoulders. 7 The shaft of his spear was like a weaver’s beam, and the head of his spear weighed 600 shekels[b] of iron; and his shield-bearer was marching ahead of him.
8 Then he stood and shouted out to the ranks of Israel saying to them, “Why come out to line up in battle array? Am I not the Philistine and aren’t you Saul’s servants? Choose for yourselves a man and let him come down to me. 9 If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then will we become your slaves; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then will you become our slaves and serve us.” 10 The Philistine added, “Today I defy the ranks of Israel—give me a man, so we may fight together!”
11 But when Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and very terrified.
12 Now David was son of a certain Ephrathite man of Bethlehem of Judah, whose name was Jesse. He had eight sons and during the days of Saul the man was old, advanced in years among men. 13 Now the three oldest sons of Jesse had already left and gone after Saul to the battle; the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and second to him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 David was the youngest. So the three oldest followed Saul. 15 Now David would go back and forth from Saul to tending his father’s sheep by Bethlehem.
24 Upon seeing him, all the men of Israel fled from him in great fear. 25 All the men of Israel were saying, “Have you seen this man who keeps coming up? Surely he is coming up to defy Israel! The man who kills him, the king will enrich him with great riches, give him his daughter in marriage and make his father’s house tax-free in Israel!”
26 Then David asked the men who were standing by him saying, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and takes away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the ranks of the living God?”
41 Meanwhile, the Philistine drew nearer and approached David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 Now when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was just a ruddy boy with a handsome appearance. 43 Then the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, so I may give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.”
45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You are coming to me with a sword, a spear and a javelin, but I am coming to you in the Name of Adonai-Tzva’ot, God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This very day Adonai will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and take your head off you, and I will give the carcasses of the Philistines’ camp today to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth. Then all the earth will know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and so all this assembly will know that Adonai delivers not with sword and spear—for the battle belongs to Adonai—and He will give you into our hands.”
48 Then when the Philistine rose and began to advance, drawing near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 David put his hand in his bag, took from it a stone and slung it, striking the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, so that he fell on his face to the ground.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, struck the Philistine down and killed him. Since there was no sword in David’s hand, 51 David ran, stood over the Philistine, picked up his sword, drew it from its sheath, slew him and cut off his head with it.
56 So the king said, “Then, find out whose son this young man is.” 57 So when David returned from killing the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58 “Whose son are you, young man?” Saul said to him. David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”
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