GRACE CAUSES YOU TO WIN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

“When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.”—Proverbs 11:2

 

Samuel chapter 17 details an important truth to us: Pride causes you not to receive God’s grace to do what you can with what you have. 

 

David, a shepherd and the youngest of eight boys, took care of his father’s flock of sheep.  His three older brothers had followed King Saul into battle against the Philistines.  The army of the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, with a valley between them.  The champion of the Philistine army was Goliath, a giant.  He stood on the mountain and hurled insults against Israel challenging them to send a man to come and fight him.  If he won then Israel would serve the Philistines, but if Israel’s man won then they would serve Israel.  When Saul and his men heard this, they were very afraid and did not know what to do.

 

David came to the battle site from time-to-time to take his brothers some food during the forty days this scenario went on between these two great armies.  One day David’s father told him to take some grain and bread to his brothers and some cheese to the captain of their thousand, and inquire how they were doing.  David came into camp just as the army was going out to fight and shout at each other.  David went to where his brothers were to talk to them and happen to hear Goliath’s threats and the men in Israel’s army say that Saul would give the man whoever killed Goliath rich.  In addition, he would get his daughter in marriage and his household would be exempt from taxes.

David spoke to the men who stood by him confirming what the reward was to be for killing Goliath, and then went on to say, “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

 

 When David’s oldest brother heard what David said, he was very angry with David and said, “Why did you come down here?  And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness?  I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.”

 

The army of Saul could not defeat the army of the Philistines as-long-as they were trying to do it in their own strength because in their own eyes they were too small.  Their pride in the usual way of doing battle would not work for them.

 

David came on the scene and declared to the leader of Israel’s army that the God whom He served would deliver him and Israel from the army that had defied the Living God.  David did not wear Saul’s armor or his weapons to fight against Goliath he used what he had and what he knew how to use—five smooth stones.

 

David spoke these words, “This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you….that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel” before he slung his first and only stone that hit Goliath in the forehead. 

 

Goliath and the Philistine army was defeat that day because David understood the principle that grace causes you to win with what you have.  He walked in humility and not pride which gave him the wisdom to use what he had and was familiar with to win the battle.

 

Today I want to encourage you that when others pressure you to do this or that just to back off of the situation and ask the Lord what you should do—He will give you the wisdom.  We do not have to give in to others pride.  Scripture tells us that pride comes before destruction, but we have received grace.  It is grace (God’s unmerited favor) that helps us to do what we can with what we have.

 

Prayer—Heavenly Father thank You for Your grace working in my life.  Today I refocus my attention on You and what You say rather than on what others are pressuring me to do.  Thank You for helping me do what I can with what I have, in Jesus Name.  Amen.