Run to the Battle

“Then it happened when the Philistine rose and came and drew near to meet David, that David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” [I Sam 17:48]



I mentioned in a previous article that reading the story of David and Goliath really spoke to my heart in my time wit the Lord this morning and prompted me to write two different articles. The first article was focused on the truth that God fights our battles for us. This article is zeroed in on the truth that God calls us at times to run toward our challenges and battles with eagerness. This is pretty atypical of how many people handle problems.
As I mentioned in the previous article, Goliath taunted the army of Israel for 40 days and nights. He cursed God and dared anyone to fight him. Fear paralyzed men of all ages, ability, and rank. Nobody wanted any piece of Goliath until David walked up on the scene. David was young, cocky, and mouthy. He talked a big game and soon the soldiers took this mouthy young man to King Saul. The fight was fixed at that point.
David had no armor but took five simple smooth stones and a shepherd’s sling as he began walking toward the giant. Goliath stood in disbelief that a lad was coming to fight a man’s fight. It was to be a fight to the death and a young boy was coming to oppose a nine foot tall monstrosity of a man. The odds were stacked or so it seemed to everyone but God and David.
At some point David must have stopped and given a sermon to the giant. Here is what is recorded David said in response to Goliath disdainful diatribe. “You come to me with a sword, and a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, and the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands and I will strike you down and remove your head from you. I will give the dead bodies of the army of 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.”
If the fight wasn’t on before it was sure on now. David had defied the giant and insulted him as well as the army of the Philistines. David not only predicted victory but the removal of Goliath’s head. The Bible tells us at this point that Goliath arose and began to draw near to meet David. Stop right there before we go any further.
I have met many big mouthed people in my life. Like the old saying goes, talk is cheap. David had talked big among the safety of the army of Israel but now they were behind Him. He had talked big while Goliath was still a good distance away. Now Goliath was on the move like a heat seeking missile and David was the aim of the fury of this massive warrior. What went through David’s mind at that moment? Did David for the first time get a lump in his throat as he saw the colossal size of this soldier coming his way? Did the ground begin to rumble with each step Goliath took coming closer, closer, closer, ever closer? Was David tempted to outrun this man and lure him close enough to the Israelite army to be shot with an arrow?
What David did next is absolutely inspiring. This is better than any war movie. David ran quickly to the battle line! I LOVE IT. Goliath wanted a fight and David with eagerness ran to the battle. What do we do far too often? We either run the other way or we reluctantly saunter out to meet our battles. We don’t like the front lines. Security is within the confines of the ranks. Risk, danger, and even peril await the child of God when the battle line is drawn and especially if you are called to stride to toe the line alone. David ran to the battle with nothing but the primitive weapons of a shepherd and the Glorious, Almighty, and All Powerful presence of God Himself.
We run the other way. We want safety, security, and serenity. God often wants our faith on the cutting edge for all the world to see. If we fail it will be a big public failure so we are tempted to stay put or to retreat when the giant gets ticked and moves toward us. God longs to work through someone, anyone, who will run to the battle in faith. It seems better to us to put off today what could most assuredly be reconsidered tomorrow. How many times have you shrunk back in fear instead of running toward the battle line? How often have looked across the distance to see the glistening armor of the giant and the bulging muscles of the enemy causing fear, raw terror, and uncontrollable doubt?
God is looking for men, women, and students who will courageously run to the battle to fight. God is looking for people who will volunteer to get on the front lines and charge the enemy full speed ahead. God is looking for young people and older people who will surrender their lives and the American dream to run to the front lines of pioneer missions and run toward people groups who have never heard the name of Jesus. God is looking for church planters who will run to the hard places of this nation and world to plant their lives and roots in establishing God exalting, Bible believing, and Christ honoring churches. God is looking for men and women who will run to the battle of standing watch on the walls of their homes and communities praying for God’s protection and breakthrough. God is looking for teenagers who will run toward the battle of living counter cultural every day as they walk the halls of school and contend in the athletic arenas battling for the glory of God rather than the glory of self and school. God is looking for people who finally shake off the apathy of this modern church age and run toward Him in an all out sprint to pursue knowledge of Him, revelation of truth, and holiness in character.
Who will get up and shake off fear and run to the battle? The world watches and waits to see if our God is really that big a deal. They taunt us and defy us while we sit back in fear and comfort hoping someone else will run to the battle. Why not you? Why not now? Who will be offended enough to run toward the battle in faith that God alone can and will bring about the victory. Get up. Let us throw off cowardice and cold indifference and run to take up our battle stations. It is time to run toward the very thing that has taunted us and brought fear to our hearts. Run toward the battle and refuse to live in fear another moment.
As Goliath approached, most likely smiling because he thought the victory was his, a simple stone struck and sunk deep into his forehead and the giant fell to his death and defeat. Why, because a young man fearlessly ran toward the battle. David prevailed as God showed what He can do through those people who are willing to trust Him and run to the battle in complete surrender to His commands.
You have been taunted by your fears and your giants. You are being summoned to the battle field. You have resisted, shirked responsibility, rebelled, and dug in your heels. You have been challenged. Your giant approaches. What will you do? How I pray we would all rise to our feet, set out in a dead sprint to meet our giant in battle and watch him fall in defeat. God will help us prevail. Oops. Excuse me. I’ve got to run and silence a giant who has taunted my God one time too many. See you on the battle field.