God uses David in a Giant Way

David was a young shepherd boy who took care of his father’s sheep. David had been told by a prophet of God that he would be the next king of God’s people. Even though he was young, God knew that David loved him with all of his heart. That’s why God chose to use David in great ways.

David’s three brothers were in the army of God’s people. The king who was in charge and leading the army was King Saul. The army was fighting against the Philistines; but the army of God’s people was very afraid. The Philistines had a special, strong weapon – a giant named Goliath.

Goliath was huge and strong and MEAN! Every day he would come out and shout at the men in God’s army and say, “Who is brave enough to come and fight me? No one from your scared little army dares to fight me!” And Goliath laughed as the men of God’s army ran away and hid because they so were frightened of the giant.

David had come near to the battlefield to bring his brothers some food and supplies from home. As he got close, David could hear what Goliath was saying. He asked his brothers and some of the soldiers, “Who does this man think he is to say bad things against the army of the living God?” David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard what David said and got mad at his little brother. Eliab said, “Who is watching the sheep and why are you here? You should go home!” But David didn’t listen to his brother because he wanted to find out if there was anyone willing to fight Goliath.

When David saw that no soldier trusted God enough to face the giant, he said, “I’ll fight the giant!” The other soldiers laughed at David because he was just a kid! He didn’t even have armor! How could a young boy fight a giant like Goliath??

Some of the soldiers were outside of the king’s tent talking and laughing about David. King Saul heard them and said, “Stop your laughing and bring the boy to me.” When David came to the king’s tent, King Saul realized that he truly was a young boy. “What makes you think you can fight the giant?” King Saul asked. David shared the stories of being a shepherd and fighting lions and bears with his own two hands to protect his sheep. David said, “King Saul, the same God that helped me to fight the lions and the bears will give me strength to defeat this giant!”

King Saul believed David, but he wanted him to go into battle dressed as a soldier. The king gave David his armor to wear, but it was too big and too heavy. David said, “I can’t use this armor because I’m not used to it and it will slow me down.” David left the king’s tent and walked to a nearby brook. He found five smooth stones and put them in his pouch. With his sling in his hand, he went out to meet the giant knowing that God would take care of him.

When Goliath came out to see who was brave enough to fight him, he saw David, who was just a young boy. This made Goliath angry and he said, “Am I a dog that your army sends out sticks to fight me?” David said, “You come at me with your shield and with your sword but I come in the name of the Lord God Almighty, the God of the army of Israel, and today He will give you to me! God will give me strength to take you down and we will defeat you and your army!”

Goliath couldn’t believe his ears! He picked up his sword and ran as fast as he could towards David! David put one stone in his sling and began whirling it in the air. Suddenly, just as Goliath raised his sword to kill David, David released the stone from his sling and it hit Goliath right between the eyes!

The stone sunk into Goliath’s head and he fell to the ground dead! David ran towards the giant to finish the fight just as he said he would because God had given him the battle against the giant! When the soldier’s of God’s army saw what had happened, they ran after the Philistine army and defeated them.

David was a young boy, but he took down a terrible giant. He was not afraid because he loved God with all of his heart and because he trusted God to be with him. David even wrote about loving and trusting God in the Bible! Psalm 29:25 is just one of the verses that he wrote and it says, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in Him my heart trusts, and I am helped.” David didn’t need the king’s armor because the Lord was his strength and his shield against the giant!