The One in You

He was supposed to only bring some bread and cheese to his brothers and a report back to his father.  His brothers were in war with the archenemy and everyone was on edge.  "Just bring me back some good news" must have been the thought of the father that sent him.  However, when the boy that tended sheep got to the battle scene what he found was a standoff.  There was an attempt by the enemy to have "a one man from each side represents all" kind of war.  Why do you have such a battle?  You only want such a battle if you have a hoss on your side.  The enemy had a hoss.   He stood over nine feet tall, wore armor that weighted 125 lbs. and carried a spear that had a point on it that was heavier than a modern day Olympic shot put.  (Have you ever seen those big ole guys heave a shot put?)  Not only did he look horrible (to the opponent) but he sounded horrible too.  He would yell out threats and speak blasphemously every morning as he walked into the valley and sang "Hit Me with Your Best Shot."  (What a sniper could have done for the Israelite army!)  For over a month this had been the scene.  Besides it being a month, it was 40 days.  40 is considered ENOUGH many times in Scripture.  40 years was considered a generation.  40 days of rain completed the flood.  Even the Roman army stopped whipping a prisoner at 40 lashes.  Enough is enough.   And that is exactly what David thought that morning.  After some negotiation with the higher-ups, David walked down in the valley and popped his forehead with a rock like a candle poked into a birthday cake.  He fell with a thud.  However, before David did it, he answered Goliath's venomous tongue with a powerful word about his Lord.  I Samuel 17 puts it this way- ⁴⁵ 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. ⁴⁶ This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.”   And that, my friend, as Paul Harvey said, is the rest of the story. 
He knew His Lord was stronger than any enemy and he knew that victory was found in the Lord.  Whether it is a venomous enemy of flesh and blood that you see every day, a tantalizing temptation that you fight every hour, a dread of doubt and discouragement that follows you like a shadow, or the deep gorges of grief that leave you in the shadows, our Lord is stronger than the enemy that you face. I John 4:4- You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.  Claim that today and live in the shadow of the cross and not some shadow of the enemy's valley!