Are You Qualified? Series

Are You Qualified?

1. CONTRAST: HUMANLY SPEAKING THERE WAS A GREAT CONTRAST BETWEEN DAVID AND GOLIATH.

" A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He was over nine feet tall. He had a bronze helmet on his head and wore a coat of scale armor of bronze weighing five thousand shekels; on his legs he wore bronze greaves, and a bronze javelin was slung on his back. His spear shaft was like a weaver’s rod, and its iron point weighed six hundred shekels (15 lbs.). His shield bearer went ahead of him. " I Samuel 17: 4-7

" Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. "Come here," he said, "and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" I Samuel 17: 41-44

GOLIATH WAS A GIANT WITH GREAT PHYSICAL STRENGTH. HE WAS A TRAINED WARRIOR WITH POWERFUL ARMOUR. IN CONTRAST DAVID WAS ONLY A YOUTH AND A SHEPHERD BOY WHO HAD NEVER BEEN IN BATTLE BEFORE. IT APPEARED A TOTAL MISMATCH IN WHICH DAVID HAD NO CHANCE OF DEFEATING GOLIATH. NO ONE BELIEVED THAT DAVID WOULD DEFEAT GOLIATH.

Even in our lives we may face challenges which appear so overwhelming and we may feel that we are no match against such great odds. But the victory of David over Goliath should inspire us and give us great confidence in the battles that we face. Remember, the greater the battle , the more glorious will be the victory.

2. COURAGE: DAVID HAD ABSOLUTELY NO FEAR OF GOLIATH WHEN EVERYONE ELSE WERE TOTALLY TERRIFIED OF HIM.

" Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us." Then the Philistine said, "This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other." On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. " I Samuel 17: 8-11

" As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. " I Samuel 17:23-24

DAVID’S COURAGE WAS AMAZING WHEN HE FACED GOLIATH. THE ENTIRE ISRAELI ARMY INCLUDING KING SAUL WERE TERRIFIED OF GOLIATH. EVEN WHEN HE WAS SURROUNDED BY FEARFUL PEOPLE, DAVID STOOD OUT WITH HIS TOTAL FEARLESSNESS. NOTHING INCLUDING GOLIATH’S APPEARANCE, STRENGTH, ARMOUR , EXPERIENCE OR THREATS COULD MAKE HIM AFRAID .

Even in our lives we should be bold and fearless when we face our Goliaths. None of those who were afraid of Goliath were able to defeat him. The only one who was able to defeat Goliath was the one who had no fear of him. Therefore, we should be absolutely fearless when we face our challenges in order to get the victory.

3. CONFIDENCE: DAVID HAD TOTAL CONFIDENCE THAT HE WOULD DEFEAT GOLIATH.

" Now the Israelites had been saying, "Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel." David asked the men standing near him, "What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?" They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, "This is what will be done for the man who kills him." I Samuel 17: 25-27

THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT IN DAVID’S MIND ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE BATTLE. IN FACT, THE FIRST WORDS THAT DAVID SPOKE AFTER SEEING AND HEARING GOLIATH WAS TO FIND OUT WHAT REWARD HE WOULD GET IF HE KILLED GOLIATH. DAVID SAW GOLIATH AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET REWARDS IN HIS LIFE. HE DID NOT THINK OF GOLIATH AS A DANGER THREATENING TO DESTROY HIS LIFE BUT AS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE GREAT BLESSINGS IN HIS LIFE.