Loving yourself means feeling and acting confident. When you have experienced God’s agape love and it is transforming you it is producing a confidence that you have not experienced before. David speaks like he is not just a Shepherd Boy EVEN THOUGH at this moment that is all he is. He has never been in battle and possibly never wielded a sword. But self-confidence does not come from what you have done but it comes From WITHIN.
Self-Confidence born from Agape Love sounds like this:
- “Things are going really bad around me BUT I KNOW God has good plans for me”
- “I know I have never done this before BUT I AM WILLING to try it because God is with me”
- “There is a giant between me and what God has promised me and I am so excited to step onto the battle ground to fight it”
For David it sounded like, “I have never fought a person, let alone a Giant. I cannot wear King’s armor or wield the King’s sword. I am younger than anyone in this army BUT…I will gladly volunteer to fight The Giant Goliath.”
Remember, for 40-days no soldier had volunteered to fight Goliath. Why? Again, because of their thoughts about themselves. They were thinking about themselves in Relationship to the size of Goliath and not the size of their God.
When We Agape OurSELF We Ignore the Negativity About Us
In I Samuel 17:28 we hear Eliab’s opinion of David (oldest brother)
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? (Questioning Motive) And with whom did you leave those few sheep in the wilderness? (pointing out his smallness) I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is (assigning heart condition); you came down only to watch the battle (calling David selfish).” ‘ 1 Samuel 17:28
David ignores Eliab’s opinion and goes to speak with the King.
In I Samuel 17:32-33 we see King Saul’s opinion of David.
‘David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” ‘ (1 Samuel 17:32-33)
David ignores King Saul’s opinion. What does David do? David starts telling His Story, from the perspective he chooses and he also makes a conclusion about Goliath from his story.
‘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, 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. 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. ‘The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:34-37 NIV)
What was more true?
Was David only there to bring food to his brothers? Yes, and He was there to fight Goliath.
Did he drop the supplies off and rush to the battle field to only see the battle? Or did David rush up to the front wanting to fight a giant? (he most likely did not know about Goliath, at least not the rewards)
It was a fact that he was too young to be a warrior and it was a fact that Goliath had been a warrior since he was a youth. So, what was more true? Was David too young or was he just the right age?
What was more true? Eliab rightly pointed out the fact that David was a Shepherd boy. But was David also a fierce warrior? (BEFORE ever being in a fight?)
What was more true? Saul said, you are only a young man AND Goliath is a seasoned warrior who has been trained from his youth. Or, David is a Giant Killer (BEFORE HE has killed any giants or people!)??
We all have things that people have said about us and when we Believe those words over God’s words about us then we will never face our giants. We will never step into the promised life.
We all have Stories to choose from. Most of them equally true when it comes to facts but only one of them true when it comes to God.
Your Words Speak to Your Beliefs
David heard negative words from his oldest brother Eliab and from King Saul but also from Goliath
‘Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. He looked David over and saw that he was little more than a boy, glowing with health and handsome, and he despised him. He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. “Come here,” he said, “and I’ll give your flesh to the birds and the wild animals!” ‘ (1 Samuel 17:41-44 NIV)
David decides to ignore the words of Goliath and prophesied over himself!
‘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. ‘ (1 Samuel 17:46 NIV)
When we Agape OurSELF we speak well about ourselves and our future. We do not wait for approval from a family member, a church member, or anyone in authority over us. We speak, we declare God’s goodness over our future, including our future battles.
CONCLUSION
17:53 Once we kill the giant that is berating us and our king, there are spoils to be had! Spoils of war and of new territory. Also, once we kill the giant there is still fighting to be done–pursuit and killing of the supporting elements of the giant (someone had to bring food to Goliath and they must be pursued and killed)
‘Then the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout and pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath and to the gates of Ekron. Their dead were strewn along the Shaaraim road to Gath and Ekron. When the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword. When the Philistines saw that their hero was dead, they turned and ran. ‘ (1 Samuel 17:51-53 NIV)
The above are just the spoils of battle, those things that are released unto us when we defeat the Giants in the valley that is between us and Our Promised Life.
There are other rewards for entering into battle. Those rewards are from The King himself.
‘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 family from taxes in Israel.” ‘ (1 Samuel 17:25 NIV)
Wealth, relationship and governmental favor are given to those who Love God, Love themselves and face their giants.
Are you ready to step up and face your giants?