Not My Fight
We all know the story of young David—the baby brother tasked with caring for his father’s sheep and checking on his bigger, stronger brothers in the army. He didn’t have as much strength or experience as anyone else around him. Yet one day, while running an errand for his dad, he overheard the taunts of a giant and was moved to action—infuriated by the strong men around him who were paralyzed and shaking in fear.
What on earth made this smaller, younger boy so unrealistically confident?
The simple answer lies in the words he spoke to Goliath:
“And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”—1 Samuel 17:47 (NLT)
David knew this wasn’t his fight—it was the Lord’s. That kind of mindset takes an incredible amount of faith and trust. From the beginning, David saw the literal size of the challenge and knew he wasn’t physically capable of overcoming it. He lacked the strength, training, and weapons. But he had enough crazy faith to believe that the battle wasn’t his, and that all God needed was someone willing to represent Him in the fight.
Maybe you’ve had a moment like David, where you hear a call from God that sounds impossible and risky, but it’s just crazy enough that you know it’s Him. Sometimes we start with David’s confidence but lose heart once we’re in the middle of the fight. Has that ever happened to you? I know it has for me.
So what stops us from seeing the mission all the way through with the confident trust that David had?
1. Fixing Our Eyes on the Problem, Not the Solution
The soldiers were more than capable of defeating the giant—God was on their side, and it was His will! But fear stopped them. They were too focused on the size of the problem and forgot how big their God really is.
It reminds me of another story: Peter stepping out of the boat to walk to Jesus. Peter was already walking on water! But the moment he got distracted by the size of the waves, he began to sink.
(See Matthew 14:30–31)
2. Forgetting That God Loves to Use the Unqualified
David’s confidence had nothing to do with his own ability. In the New Testament, Paul speaks to the beauty of God using us even in our weakness:
“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”
—2 Corinthians 12:9 (NLT)
God’s grace fills in every gap where we fall short. What makes David’s story so miraculous is that he was not strong enough to defeat Goliath. That’s how we know it was God. And He still loves doing things like that today!
3. Putting Too Much Trust in Our Own Resources
King Saul tried to give David his armor, but it didn’t fit. Instead of forcing it, David used what he already had—stones and a sling—tools from his everyday life. It turns out, he didn’t need the expensive armor after all. No one had ever gone to battle without armor, let alone against a giant! But God always gives us what we need for the fight, even if it doesn’t look ideal or match what others might use in similar situations. We can easily lose heart when we compare our story to someone else’s.
Sometimes, when God calls us to something, we come up with our own plan for how He’ll provide. But once we’re knee-deep in it, it can feel like the resources have fallen short. Still, the need is always met—just not always in the way we imagined. And that’s often what makes it miraculous.
Think of the disciples feeding a multitude with just a few loaves and fish. Their plan—to send everyone home to eat—was practical. But God’s plan, though it appeared lesser at face value, was actually a setup for miraculous abundance.
“Trust in your money and down you go! But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.”—Proverbs 11:28 (NLT)
May we, like David, fix our eyes on the Father, who knows our every need and has a wonderful plan for our lives. A plan that brings Him glory as we follow His path. May we see the miraculous with our heads held high, remembering that the battles we face while following His calling were never ours to fret over in the first place.
“Then he said to me, ‘This is what the Lord says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.”
—Zechariah 4:6 (NLT)
