Toy Stories: Ken — Protector vs. Tyrant - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
1 Samuel 17:34-35a
But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep…” (NIV)
Every morning, the same voice echoed through the valley.
Every evening, the same insults rang out again.
For forty straight days, Goliath stepped forward, shouted his threats, and the Israelite army froze in fear. Imagine being one of them: waking up each morning knowing what’s coming, watching morale sink, hearing the giant’s voice in your sleep. Then comes a shepherd boy who hears the same taunts everyone else has heard—but he responds completely differently. What made David different?
David didn’t just stumble into courage the day he faced Goliath. God had been preparing him long before. David’s logic was simple: “The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:34–37).
Out in the fields, with no audience and no spotlight, David fought off lions and bears. What seemed like ordinary shepherding was actually a training ground for giant-slaying.
This is so true in our lives, too. Think about an athlete who trains for years in practice sessions nobody sees—early morning lifts, endless drills, rehab from injuries—so they’re ready when the moment comes. Or think of a musician practicing scales alone in their room before standing on stage to perform. Preparation often happens in obscurity.
God does the same with us. The small, hidden battles you face today—choosing integrity when no one is watching, staying faithful in prayer, showing up for your family when it’s tiring—are shaping you for bigger moments you can’t yet see.
APPLICATION
Instead of resenting small or hidden responsibilities, thank God for them. Ask yourself: How could these “lion and bear” moments be something God is using to prepare me for future opportunities?
PRAYER
Father, thank You for the unseen training grounds of life. Help me be faithful in the little things, so I’m ready for everything You are calling me to.
