The present is only possible because of the past.

1 Samuel 17:11
When Saul and the Israelites heard this, they were terrified and deeply shaken.

1 Samuel 17:25
“Have you seen the giant?” the men asked. “He comes out each day to defy Israel.

Goliath was a bully. Intimidating. Threatening. By DEFYING Israel, Goliath was saying, “Your God isn’t powerful enough to save you.”

Goliath was underestimating God.

Nothing is wasted.

1 Samuel 17:32-37
“Don’t worry about this Philistine,” David told Saul. “I’ll go fight him!”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!”

The past gives us confidence in God and boldness to take action today.

The struggle strengthens, the battle emboldens, and the fight builds faith in God.

Your past has positioned you for God’s purposes TODAY.

1 Samuel 17:45-47
David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

1 Samuel 17:48-51
As Goliath moved closer to attack, David quickly ran out to meet him. Reaching into his shepherd’s bag and taking out a stone, he hurled it with his sling and hit the Philistine in the forehead. The stone sank in, and Goliath stumbled and fell face down on the ground. So David triumphed over the Philistine with only a sling and a stone, for he had no sword. Then David ran over and pulled Goliath’s sword from its sheath. David used it to kill him and cut off his head.

Nothing is wasted.

1 Samuel 21:8-9
David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”
“I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”
“There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!”

Four Takeaways:

1. Recognize God’s Preparation
2. Trust in God’s Provision
3. Step Out in Boldness and Faith
4. Embrace God’s Purpose