Our Source of Encouragement

“Then the Philistine came on and approached David, with the shield-bearer in front of him. When the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, with a handsome appearance. The Philistine said to David, ‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?’ And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine also said to David, ‘Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.’ Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD'S and He will give you into our hands.’” 1 Samuel 17:41-47

A conquering faith rejects discouraging thoughts and words. As David prepared to meet Goliath in battle, no one offered any encouragement. The soldiers laughed at him; and out of the embarrassment, his brothers told him to go home. If David had listened to their comments, he never would have fought Goliath.

You must be very careful to whom you listen. Listening to people who have a negative few of life usually leads to adopting their attitude. You cannot internalize negative comments and expect to gain victory. However, if we maintain an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ when trouble comes, we are much more inclined to turn to Him as our Source of encouragement. He never ridicules, discourages, or causes us to doubt when trusting Him.

David’s relationship to God was one of close, personal trust. It was a friendship that went far beyond any human relationship. He could sense God’s leading and knew when God was communicating to him. A major part of faith is learning to be still before God and being sensitive to His words of instruction.

A conquering faith recognizes the true nature of the battle. Most difficulties we face are spiritual battles. It doesn’t matter if it’s financial or emotional or physical. God is involved in every area of our lives.

When Goliath saw David, he cursed him by the power of his gods and said, “‘Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?...Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the sky and the beasts of the field.’ Then David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the LORD will deliver you up into my hands...[And] all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword or by spear; for the battle is the LORD’S and He will give you into our hands’” (1 Samuel 17:41-47).