Inside Out

I was reading 1 Samuel 17 this week. You may recall the famous battle between David and Goliath. It may be the best known passage in the Old Testament. I love reading it again and gaining fresh insight. This time I noticed the vivid description of Goliath. We get a detailed picture of his stature and the weight and size of his weapons. Why does Goliath get so much ink? After all, he is the enemy and we know he's going down. I think it is because it develops a stark contrast that has already been provided in 1 Samuel. It is the contrast between the inside and the outside. It is the difference between the heart of a warrior and the physical characteristics of the warrior. Goliath was huge, but he wasn't bigger than David's God. Goliath's weapons were enormous, but they were no match for David's heart. When David was chosen as King Saul's successor God reminded the prophet that there was one overriding criteria. He needed to be a man after God's heart. It determines our success in our own battles today. It is what is our hearts that will determine whether we run to battle (and victory) with David or remain paralyzed with the rest of the army on the sidelines. It was not military ineptitude that kept Israel's army on the sideline. It was their fear. On the other hand, David's heart compelled him to run to battle and trust God to fight for Him.