1 Samuel 17:29 – “And David said, “What have I done now? Is there not a cause?”

1 Samuel 17:34-37 – “But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 Moreover David said, “The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

1 Samuel 17:37-55 – “And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!”
38 So Saul clothed David with his armor, and he put a bronze helmet on his head; he also clothed him with a coat of mail. 39 David fastened his sword to his armor and tried to walk, for he had not tested them. And David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I have not tested them.” So, David took them off.”  40 Then he took his staff in his hand; and he chose for himself five smooth stones from the brook, and put them in a shepherd’s bag, in a pouch which he had, and his sling was in his hand. And he drew near to the Philistine. 41 So the Philistine came, and began drawing near to David, and the man who bore the shield went before him. 42 And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was only a youth, ruddy and good-looking. 43 So the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”  45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47 Then all this assembly shall know that the LORD does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD’s, and He will give you into our hands.”  48 So it was, when the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, that David hurried and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. 49 Then David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the earth. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. 51 Therefore David ran and stood over the Philistine, took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and killed him, and cut off his head with it. And when the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52 Now the men of Israel and Judah arose and shouted and pursued the Philistines as far as the entrance of the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell along the road to Shaaraim, even as far as Gath and Ekron. 53 Then the children of Israel returned from chasing the Philistines, and they plundered their tents. 54 And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent. ” 55 When Saul saw David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this youth?” And Abner said, “As your soul lives, O king, I do not know.” NKJV

It is a beautiful morning and watching the sunlight beam over the corner of my rooftop as I sit with my Bible and cup of coffee listening in my heart of hearts! It is wonderful! Listening to the sounds of things coming alive and listening to the voice of the Spirit of God. The Lord reminded me that the term “against all odds” is only for those who do not know and trust Him. But, for the believer, the odds are in our favor when God is at our side!

This story is far too long to go into detail. When David, a young shepherd boy, came to the battle site his spirit was offended by the blasphemy that he heard from Goliath. The fear he sensed from the soldiers of Israel including his very own brothers troubled him deeply. His youthful, boast of faith got the attention of the king which suggests that there was such utter desperation in the camp and Saul was grasping for straws. It seems that the king believed they were facing insurmountable odds.

Saul gave David the armor of a normal soldier. However, David did not feel comfortable in armor he had never used so he choose what God had given him and equipped him with. He wanted nothing more and nothing less that what God had prepared and provided. He took his small bag, sling, and faith and went out to do battle. His words to Goliath are the key: “You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. THIS DAY the Lord will deliver you into my hand…” NKJV

The only way something is against all odds is if we either reject the help, anointing, guidance, and grace of the Lord or we fail to go to at all. The battle is before us and although the odds look impossible, we need to remember that the battle is not our but the Lords. We need to remind ourselves that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. We need to utilize what we have been entrusted with not the equipment, talent, gifts, training, the ability of another. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and He will always guide us into victory!

Today is a day to follow the guidance of the Lord and against all odds walk out the other side of the trial in victory!

Blessings to each of you as you go through your day in Him!