1. Think of a time when you’ve been disappointed by a person or situation. What made you feel disappointed?
2. What is your reaction to disappointment? (do you withdraw, cry, yell, punch, etc.?)
“Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. [9] If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” [10] Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other. ” [11] On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. [12] Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, and in Saul’s time he was old and well advanced in years. [13] Jesse’s three oldest sons had followed Saul to the war: The firstborn was Eliab; the second, Abinadab; and the third, Shammah. [14] David was the youngest. The three oldest followed Saul, [15] but David went back and forth from Saul to tend his father’s sheep at Bethlehem. [16] For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. [17] Now Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp. [18] Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them. [19] They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.” [20] Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. [21] Israel and the Philistines were drawing up their lines facing each other. [22] David left his things with the keeper of supplies, ran to the battle lines and greeted his brothers. [23] As he was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heard it. [24] When the Israelites saw the man, they all ran from him in great fear. [25] Now the Israelites had been saying, “Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his father’s family from taxes in Israel.” [26] David asked the men standing near him, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” [27] They repeated to him what they had been saying and told him, “This is what will be done for the man who kills him.” [28] 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 desert? I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is; you came down only to watch the battle.” [29] “Now what have I done?” said David. “Can’t I even speak?” [30] He then turned away to someone else and brought up the same matter, and the men answered him as before.” -1 Samuel 17:8-30 (NIV)
3. David’s motives are being questioned. He is being doubted, put down, and mocked. How do you feel when you are treated that way?
“What David said was overheard and reported to Saul, and Saul sent for him. [32] David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” [33] Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth.” [34] But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, [35] I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. [36] Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. [37] The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.” [38] Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. [39] David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them. “I cannot go in these,” he said to Saul, “because I am not used to them.” So he took them off. [40] Then he took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine. [41] Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. [42] He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. [43] He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. [44] “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field! ” [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 hand you over to me, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, 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.” [48] As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him. [49] Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground. [50] 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 17:31-50 (NIV)
4. Despite how David was being treated, his confidence was not shaken. Even as a young boy, his faith in God was not determined by the actions, fears or mistakes of others. Grown men, the entire Isrealite army, were a disappointment. But David knew who God was and is, even when others messed up.
Do you ever allow other people’s mistakes, broken promises, hurtful words and actions to distance you from God?
5. It’s not always easy to stand strong and trust in God when you’ve been disappointed. How can you gain Gods perspective in those challenging situations?
6. People expected little from David because of his age, relation, job, and appearance, yet with God’s perspective, he displayed heroic courage. What things do you have in common with David that you may think keeps you from allowing courage to grow? Rethink what you are capable of, with God’s help.
2010/01/05
-Karyn