Unlikely FighterSample

The Boy Who Was Chosen Last

We know him as King David—slayer of giants, mighty ruler of Israel, ancestor of Jesus Christ. It’s easy to forget that, back in the day, no one would have pegged David for any of those things. 

When God sent Samuel the prophet to Jesse of Bethlehem to anoint one of his sons as the future king of Israel, Samuel immediately assumed Eliab was God’s choice, because he was tall and good-looking. When God said “no,” Jesse paraded six more of his sons before Samuel. It wasn’t until God said “no” to all of them that Jesse sent to the fields for David, the youngest of the eight, who was out watching the sheep.

When David came in, God finally said “yes.” This shocked them all, including David’s own father, because:

• David was the youngest, in a culture that valued the oldest. 

• David wasn’t tall, in a culture that valued height. 

• David wasn’t the strongest, in a culture that valued strength. 

• David wasn’t a seasoned warrior, in a culture that valued experience.

David was handsome (I Samuel 16:12), but that wasn’t what mattered to God. Because while we look at people’s outward appearance, the Lord looks at our hearts (I Samuel 16:7). And David, the Scripture tells us, was “a man after God’s own heart” (I Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22).

When the Bible talks about “the heart,” it primarily means two things: our affections and our motives. David’s affection for God was unparalleled. He authored at least half of the Psalms, most of which are filled with declarations to God of praise and love and trust, often amidst terribly difficult and dangerous circumstances. 

But David’s motives are perhaps the biggest reason God used David so powerfully. Before David threw the stone at Goliath, he declared he was fighting not for his own glory but that “the whole world will know there is a God in Israel.”

David knew the victory was up to God and not him, so he was able to just be himself. He rejected Saul’s armor, taking only stones and a slingshot, because he trusted that God himself would be his weapon and his armor. 

By trusting in God and not himself, David became one of the most heralded unlikely fighters in all of human history. Today, set your affections on God and act for His glory, despite the obstacles, and watch for His victory in your own battles.

Reflect:

• Heart check: Assess your current affections and motives. Are God and His glory at the center?

• What shortcomings are you allowing to sideline you?