by Isaac Makumi

Today, I am going to tell you the story of a young man named David. His work was to look after his father’s sheep.

During this time the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. At one time there was a stand off for forty days. The Philistine soldiers were on one hill and the Israelis on the other. One Philistine soldier was a giant of a man. He was ten feet tall and very strong. His name was Goliath. He had challenged the Israelis to choose one man to fight him and if any defeated him, the Philistines would concede defeat. However no Israeli had offered himself yet. The size and fighting prowess of this giant man frightened them.

One day on his way to town, David overheard his boast. He asked others. “Who is this man to boast so? I can offer myself to fight him.” Everybody was bewildered by his dare because he was such a small man compared to the giant. He also had no army training. But David took up the challenge. He went out to the river and collected some stones, then with his sling in hand; he went to meet the giant. David was very good at throwing stones with his sling. The giant shouted, “What kind of insult is this, for a young man like you to approach me with a sling? I will kill you today and your body will be food for the birds!”  But David took one of the stones and swung it, aiming for the giant’s face. The stone struck Goliath between the eyes and he fell. David ran to the fallen giant and cut off his head using the giant’s own sword. Seeing this, the Philistines fled with the Israelis pursuing them. Many of them were killed that day. The Israelis defeated the Philistines because of the courage and faith of this one young man.

But what was so special about this young man? It was the knowledge that he had a great father. Not his earthly father Jesse, but his heavenly father God. David trusted that his heavenly father would always protect him. This is what gave him courage. God had already enabled him to overpower and kill a lion and a bear which threatened him and the sheep he was caring for. He knew that the same God would help him overpower Goliath who was a threat to the Israelis.

We are all sons and daughters of God and like David; we should do away with our fear and take courage when certain circumstances threaten to overcome us.  This is because our heavenly father will always help us to slay the giants that threaten us.