A reward has got to be one of the greatest motivators ever! Would you call every good and perfect gift a reward (James 1:17)? I do!

Why is it impossible to please God without faith?

But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. – Heb 11:6 KJV

Because God is a rewarder! It pleases God to reward us!

God doesn’t want to reward us because we are all that and a bag of sugar! He wants to reward us because He is good!

I watched Doug Wead’s video, “David and Goliath,” at IPDAR.org a couple of days ago. He pointed out something that I had never heard before.

At First, David Fled!

We hear these stories and we want to glorify man! There was nothing glorious about David. He fled from Goliath with all the men of Israel!

And David left his carriage in the hand of the keeper of the carriage, and ran into the army, and came and saluted his brethren. – 1Sa 17:22 KJV
And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard [them]. – 1Sa 17:23 KJV
And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. – 1Sa 17:24 KJV

All Means All!

How do we know that David was in this all? Because David was with them when they started talking.

And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up: and it shall be, [that] the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father’s house free in Israel. – 1Sa 17:25 KJV

What’s the Reward?

What did David ask about first? The Reward!

“Tax exemption,” said Doug Wead, “and the girl!”

And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who [is] this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God? – 1Sa 17:26 KJV
And the people answered him after this manner, saying, So shall it be done to the man that killeth him. – 1Sa 17:27 KJV

Great Faith in God

David had great faith in God and God’s ability and desire to reward David because of God’s covenant with Israel. And the Spirit of the Lord had already come upon David (1 Samuel 16:13).

The Brethren

Has anyone in your family ever gotten angry with you for going after something BIG? Not Goliath, not the problem. Those giants will eventually hunt you down. But the reward for bringing the solution to the problem. Now you can tell what spirit Eliab, his brother was acting in submission to–the accuser (Revelation 12:10)!

And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men; and Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle. – 1Sa 17:28 KJV

Eliab was saying just the opposite of what others were saying about David (1 Samuel 16:12, 18). And Eliab was trying to ruin David’s credibility by accusing him of being irresponsible and even naughty!

It is essential to always believe what God is saying about you over what even your closest people have to say. David knew this and gives us a perfect example of what Jesus meant when He said “hate them (Luke 14:26)!” He just meant to resist the works of the enemy and submit to God above all else (James 4:7-10).

Now What?

It hurts when your closest loved ones don’t believe in you!

And David said, What have I now done? [Is there] not a cause? – 1Sa 17:29 KJV
And he turned from him toward another, and spake after the same manner: and the people answered him again after the former manner. – 1Sa 17:30 KJV

But, because David had the knowledge and strength of the Lord to turn away from the accusations at that moment, his whole family was blessed and acknowledged (1 Samuel 17:58)! His family eventually became the family of the King!

Honored by Strangers

The men that David turned away from Eliab to talk with honored David more than his own brother. They caused Saul to send for David.

And when the words were heard which David spake, they rehearsed [them] before Saul: and he sent for him. – 1Sa 17:31 KJV
And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. – 1Sa 17:32 KJV

Overcoming Doubt and Unbelief

Saul had his eyes fixed on what he could see. He didn’t even mention God or the fact that Israel is God’s chosen people! Saul was carnally minded only seeing with his physical senses (Romans 8:7).

And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou [art but] a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. – 1Sa 17:33 KJV
And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: – 1Sa 17:34 KJV

Credit Where it is Due!

Notice David didn’t say that God had sent the lion, the bear, or the present problem, Goliath! But David is quick to give God the credit for delivering him out of everything that the enemy has sent to steal, kill, and destroy God’s sheep and God’s people (John 10:10)!

And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered [it] out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught [him] by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. – 1Sa 17:35 KJV
Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. – 1Sa 17:36 KJV
David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the LORD be with thee. – 1Sa 17:37 KJV

It Gets Tricky!

This is where we have to pray for discernment concerning what is good. Is it really from God (Hebrews 5:14)?

I am sure Saul was trying to arm David with the best; it was his, the king’s armor.

And Saul armed David with his armour, and he put an helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail. – 1Sa 17:38 KJV
And David girded his sword upon his armour, and he assayed to go; for he had not proved [it]. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved [them]. And David put them off him. – 1Sa 17:39 KJV

Other people will try to fit you into what works for them. This happens in the church a lot. Don’t allow anyone (even yourself) to try to put you into some cookie cutter or box. You can hear God’s voice for yourself (John 10:27, Revelation 3:20). Going along with the status quo may look good. It may feel good and comfortable. But it will crush you under the weight of conformity.

God has put greatness in you (Colossians 1:27)!

Never settle for less (1 John 4:17).

Get Equipped!

What works for you might look like some rocks and a child’s sling or a pipe dream to others.

And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling [was] in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. – 1Sa 17:40 KJV

The Problem is Coming!

Whether you prepare yourself and run at the problem or not, it is eventually coming.

And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David; and the man that bare the shield [went] before him. – 1Sa 17:41 KJV
And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was [but] a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. – 1Sa 17:42 KJV
And the Philistine said unto David, [Am] I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. – 1Sa 17:43 KJV

Trash Talk with the Enemy!

Money is not evil. And it is not your enemy. But the love of money is the evil spirit of mammon! It will trash-talk you! The spirit of mammon will tell you how worthless you are without a certain amount of money, fame, success, things, etc.

These are not bad things. But God says that when we seek Him, He already wants to give us all these things (Matthew 6:33). Again, it pleases Him to give us all these things. God wants us to know how awesome He has created us to be with or without these things.

When the enemy comes to trash-talk us, we have to know our God-given authority.

And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. – 1Sa 17:44 KJV

That is scary! Your giant may notlook or sound like Goliath. But if it comes threatening to steal, kill, and destroy you, your loved ones, and all your possessions or livelihood, it can be huge!

Talk Back!

Jesus didn’t ask God to curse the fig tree (Matthew 21:19). He didn’t tell us to pray to God about the mountain (Matthew 21:21). He tells us to speak to the problem. That’s what David did. He told Goliath who he was actually going up against. David told Goliath exactly what he was going to do to him in Jesus’ name!

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. – 1Sa 17:45 KJV
This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. – 1Sa 17:46 KJV
And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle [is] the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands. – 1Sa 17:47 KJV

David didn’t deny that there was a giant. He didn’t deny the facts. The giant was big and well-armed. He acknowledged all the facts. These were real tangible things that David was facing! David talked back to his problem about His God! And what God says!

Why Pray?

Prayer is communion with God. I read God’s Word and pray for His will to be done. I know that God’s good and perfect will is to reward me (3 John 1:2). It pleases Him to reward me and you and the whole world (John 3:16-17). I receive all of His great and precious promises by diligently seeking Him. He does everything else in me, with me, and through me (Hebrews 13:20-21).

And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. – Mat 21:22 KJV

Knowing Him is the greatest reward (John 17:3)!

I prayed for a hunger and thirst for His righteousness because I wanted to be blessed (Matthew 5:6). I wanted the reward! Religion will guilt, shame, and condemn you for believing God!

Run with God!

You can be confident running toward any army, problem, giant, sickness, etc. when you know that God is for you and no one can stand against you (Romans 8:31)!

And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. – 1Sa 17:48 KJV
And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang [it], and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. – 1Sa 17:49 KJV
So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but [there was] no sword in the hand of David. – 1Sa 17:50 KJV

The Violent Take it by Force (Matthew 11:12)!

The story of David and Goliath is a real-life example of how we are to approach our enemy, God’s enemy (James 4:7). We are to resist him and take God’s kingdom by force! We know that our battle is not flesh and bone but against spiritual forces (Ephesians 6:12). David got violent!

Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. – 1Sa 17:51 KJV

The Reward is for Everyone!

All the men of Israel that fled at the beginning of this scene came back and spoiled the tents of the Philistines! There was more than enough reward for everyone!

And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. – 1Sa 17:52 KJV
And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they spoiled their tents. – 1Sa 17:53 KJV

Blessed to be a Blessing

God really is good. He really is for us. God wants to bless us to be a blessing to the whole world that He so loves! Love is turning from those that are in opposition to God and His Word knowing that they will be truly blessed in the end. Love is bold and courageous in Christ!

You will want to seek the Rewarder!

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I don’t agree with everything that Steve says. But working with Steve and Dawn Siebold is worth every minute and penny Wesley and I have ever invested. They are excellent at their profession and really do want to help people improve their lives and the world!