This week’s devotions are based on week 3 of David: Challenged- The Battle Belongs to the Lord! (WATCH HERE)
1 Samuel 17:32 David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
33 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.”
34 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, 35 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. 36 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. 37 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.”
Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you.”
When David heard Goliath’s taunts, he did not see the same battlefield everyone else saw. Saul and the soldiers saw a massive opponent, overwhelming odds, and the risk of humiliation or death. David saw something different. He saw a cause that was bigger than the conflict standing in front of him.
In 1 Samuel 17:32–37, David tells Saul not to lose heart. His confidence does not come from self-belief or bravado but from remembering who God is and what God has already done. As a shepherd, David had faced lions and bears, not because he was looking for danger, but because protecting the flock mattered. Each victory became a testimony of God’s faithfulness. David’s logic is simple and deeply theological. The same Lord who delivered him before would deliver him again. The issue was not the size of Goliath but the honor of the living God.
This is what happens when the cause becomes clear. Fear no longer gets the final word. Jesus teaches the same truth in Matthew 6:33: “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” When God’s kingdom is the priority, circumstances lose their ability to control us. Anxiety fades when God’s cause takes center stage.
Paul echoes this mindset in Philippians 1:20–21 as he faces imprisonment and the real possibility of death. His desire is not comfort or survival but that Christ would be exalted in his body, whether by life or by death. Paul’s courage flows from clarity of purpose. When living means serving Christ and dying means being with Christ, fear has nowhere to land. 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Imagine a runner midway through a grueling race. If the runner fixates on aching muscles and burning lungs, quitting feels reasonable. But when the runner fixes their eyes on the finish line, pain becomes part of the journey rather than the reason to stop. Purpose reframes suffering.
The same is true for us. Many of our challenges feel overwhelming because we are measuring them against our comfort, reputation, or sense of control. But when we ask how this moment might honor God or serve his kingdom, the conflict begins to shrink. Obedience may still be costly, but it becomes meaningful.
Outcomes are not guaranteed and struggles don’t disappear. David still had to step onto the battlefield. Paul still endured prison. But clarity of purpose gave them courage to move forward faithfully.
In your own life, the challenge you face may involve a difficult conversation, a season of uncertainty, a call to forgive, or a step of obedience that feels risky. When the cause is small, obstacles loom large. When the cause is God’s glory, even giants lose their power to intimidate.
Reflect: What cause or calling might God be inviting me to trust him with right now? How does focusing on God’s purpose change how I see this challenge?
Prayer: Lord, lift my eyes above my struggles. When fear and uncertainty press in, remind me of your purpose and your faithfulness. Help me seek your kingdom first and trust you with whatever stands in the way. Amen.