Defiantly, Unashamedly, Generously — Worship Defiantly - Tuesday
TODAY’S VERSE
1 Samuel 17:26
David asked the soldiers standing nearby, “What will a man get for killing this Philistine and ending his defiance of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God?” (NLT)
“If you want to fight, come back here at 6pm, and we’ll fight!”
When I was about eight years old, I was hanging out at my grandma's house with my brother and our two cousins. Suddenly, four boys came riding down the street on their bikes and hopped the fence into my grandma’s yard. These kids were bigger than us, older than us, and they didn’t seem pleasant.
Immediately, they started talking trash to my cousins, my brother, and me, claiming they were looking for a fight. Immediately, I panicked. I’d never been in a fight before, and I hadn’t even hit puberty yet! As I stood frozen in fear, my little brother stepped up towards them and told them to leave. The biggest bully of the pack stepped towards my brother and pushed him hard, knocking him onto his back.
Something thawed and broke inside of me. My fist clenched, and my teeth ground together. I surprised myself by shouting back at these bullies, challenging them to a fight: “If you want to fight, come back here at 6pm, and we’ll fight!”
This offer seemed appealing to the group as they responded with, “You’re on!” Then they hopped back over the fence and rode off on their bikes. But here’s the crazy part: they never came back. While I like to think my bold response intimidated them, the reality is their mom probably told them they needed to help wash the dishes after dinner.
Reading the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17 reminds me of that childhood memory. In the same way that I eventually realized I needed to step in and stand up to those bullies, David reached a breaking point where he had to step in and stand up to Goliath.
David reached that pivotal moment when he realized Goliath was openly defying the armies of the living God. Even as the crowd shouted war cries without actually entering the battle, David humbly stepped forward to confront the giant who dared to defy God. That is a great reminder for us: it’s not about the size of the battle; it’s about the size of our God.
APPLICATION
Scott said on Sunday, “We live in a day of defiance to the living God. We do not live in a neutral environment.” Where is this evident in your sphere of influence? How is the Holy Spirit prompting you to step in and stand up this week?
PRAYER
Jesus, give me the courage to step in and stand up against the enemy. Help me to be a faithful ambassador of the kingdom of light. Help me to boldly push back against the kingdom of darkness by the power of the Holy Spirit.