Overcoming Fear in a Troubling World | 1 Samuel 17:1-11

Do current events have you living in fear?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are in 1 Samuel 17. I've titled this chapter "Battling Giants."

Let's dive in straight in today, beginning in verse 1:

Now the Philistines gathered their armies for battle. And they were gathered at Socoh, which belongs to Judah, and encamped between Socoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered, and encamped in the Valley of Elah, and drew up in line of battle against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on the mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on the mountain on the other side, with a valley between them. — 1 Samuel 17:1-3

Elah is an absolutely perfect place for a battle. Today's video shows a current picture of it, as you can still walk this place today. Elah is a mile-long s-shaped valley, and between it are two hills or tells—one for the encampment of the Philistines and the other for the Israelites.

Then verses 4-11 read:

And there came out from the camp of the Philistines a champion named Goliath of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. He had a helmet of bronze on his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of bronze. And he had bronze armor on his legs, and a javelin of bronze slung between his shoulders. The shaft of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron. And his shield-bearer went before him. He stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not servants of Saul? Choose a man for yourselves, and let him come down to me. If he is able to fight with me and kill me, then we will be your servants. But if I prevail against him and kill him, then you shall be our servants and serve us.” And the Philistine said, “I defy the ranks of Israel this day. Give me a man, that we may fight together.” When Saul and all Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid. — 1 Samuel 17:4-11

Notice all the time invested in retelling the details about Goliath. There is more time spent on this than the victory at the end. That is probably because they had 40 days and 80 mornings and evenings to look at and listen to Goliath. In the greater context we notice that he comes closer and closer to the mount of the Israelites camp each time, taunting and heckling the people, their king, and the Almighty God. Thus, after more than a month of this emotional beating, the soldiers are intimidated and terrified.

Systematic indoctrination by messages of intimidation and fear is nothing new. Scroll through social media for a while or turn on the news. Listen long enough, and you will buy into it. If you allow yourself to be bombarded by these messages long enough, for example, twice a day for 40 days, you will believe that the giant is too big.

As followers, we must monitor the people, the information, and the amount of information we listen to. It's important to know what is happening in the world, but it's not okay to constantly take in information designed to indoctrinate and imprison you in fear.

This is one reason I love reading the Bible with you every day. Reading God's Word a little each day over a long period of time is enough to reset our minds to God's unchanging truth. In God's Word, we are exposed to God, and he defeats all giants that perpetuate terror and fear.

Remember, in our story, David is not indoctrinated by these messages and will save the day. You will also see soon that he finds the fear-mongering messages of the uncircumcised Philistine preposterous, and thus, he brings a whole new perspective into this terrifying moment.

So stop indoctrinating your yourself in messages of fear, and get in God's Word with a message that casts out all fear.

#FaithOverFear, #ConquerTheGiant, #StrengthInScripture

Ask This:
How has fear influenced your decisions or outlook recently, and what practical steps can you take to shift your focus from the giants of fear to the promises of God?
In what ways can you apply David's example of courage and faith to confront and overcome the 'giants' in your own life, and how can daily engagement with Scripture help you in this process?
Do This:
Assess and stop messages of untruth. Spend more time in the truth.

Pray This:
Lord, I ask for Your strength to face the giants of fear in my life with the same courage that David showed. Help me to focus on Your promises and not be overwhelmed by the threats around me. Amen.

Play This:
Truth Is.