So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him. 1 Samuel 17:50 NIV

You don’t have to be a fiction writer to hear voices in your head. Friends, family, and the enemy all have an opinion on what we should or shouldn’t be doing. Which voices do we listen to? Which do we dismiss? And how do we know?

Several voices echoed in David’s head as he walked out to meet Goliath:

• The voice of family.
• The voice of authority.
• The voice of the enemy.
• God’s voice.

The Voice of Family: Disrespect

When Eliab, David’s oldest brother, heard him speaking with the men, he burned with anger at him and asked, “Why have you come down here? And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” 1 Samuel 17:28

Eliab disrespected David. In front of the other soldiers. 

Have you been here? Do you hear familiar voices say you’ll never measure up? 

What if David had listened to his brother and returned home?

The Voice of Authority: Doubt 

Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” 1 Samuel 17:33

Saul’s voice raised doubts. Too young. Too unqualified. Too inexperienced. 

Have you heard a similar voice? Too _________?

What if David had listened to Saul? Had fought with armor and a sword? Or worse, hadn’t fought at all?

The Voice of The Enemy: Death 

He [Goliath] 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 and the wild animals!” 1 Samuel 17:43-44

Goliath expected to fight a champion, perhaps Saul himself. Instead, a shepherd boy approached. Goliath spewed curses. He spoke death over David.

What if David had listened to his adversary?

God’s Voice: Victory

David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, . . . and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel . . . for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” 1 Samuel 17:45-47

David recognized another voice. God’s. 

God’s voice spoke life.

But David still had to confront the other voices.

And so do we. 

God calls us too. And, like David, other voices ring in our ears and threaten to drown out His. Yet, God’s voice is the only One that matters. David knew that and he obeyed.

David stepped forward knowing three things: 

• God had called him. (1 Samuel 16:13)
• God had prepared him. (1 Samuel 17:37)
• God would empower him. (1 Samuel 17:45)

The Calling

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David. 1 Samuel 16:13

Because God had called him, David knew He had a plan. 

Because David had spent time with Him, he knew God’s voice. Still. Steady. Insistent.

The Prep

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 17:37

            David and God had a track record. God had delivered him before and David counted on it now. He met Goliath in God-confidence. He had seen what God could do. 

The Power

David said to the Philistine, “ . . . I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” 1 Samuel 17:45

            God empowered a shepherd boy, but David also chose to be true to himself. He refused Saul’s armor and sword, picked up his sling, and chose five smooth stones. A day would come when David would feel at ease in armor, with a sword in his hand, but on that day, he put them aside.

You can read the account of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17. David stepped out in obedience and delivered Israel. It changed his life forever. He stepped into a new season of life and leadership. 

What is waiting for you?

Questions:

Isaiah 30:21 says, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it.”

Whose voices do you hear? 

Do they speak life or something less?

What is your calling? If you don’t know, ask God.

Look back at your life. How has God prepared you?

Are you wearing someone else’s armor?

What is your staff? Your sling? Your stones? What has God given you that fits you best? 

What abilities, likes, background, and giftings did God give you—even as a child? 

What giftings do others see in you?

Note from Gayle: My blog posts are for you grown-ups, but my kid Bible study sheets track the same principles and reference the same Scripture passage. Enjoy discussing (and applying!) God’s Word as a family. Grow together. Click here for Devour the Bible and Small Bites sheets.