—DEC. 8.—1 SAM. 17:38-51.—
Golden Text—"The battle is the Lord's."—1 Sam. 17:47.
THE lesson to the Christian to be gathered from this narrative is briefly embodied in the golden text—"The battle is the Lord's." Let him ever bear this in mind, and daily go forth to battle with the great powers of darkness, strong in the strength which God supplies, with the faith, courage and heroism that distinguished David, and no foe can stand before him. The one great essential to victory is faith. "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." "Without faith it is impossible to please God" or to secure his interposition on our behalf.
Having faith, we need no carnal weapons, and no armor of human invention is of any service to us; but trained and practical faith can work wonders as great as did David's sling and stone. The sling and stone were not an untried weapon with David. He was in constant practice with them, and thus he had gained skill and confidence in their use. So the Christian must practice dependence upon God continually in all the small affairs of life, and then when the giant trials come his practised faith will be abundantly able to meet and overcome them. And the [R1902 : page 279] more severe the trial, the more glorious the victory of faith and the greater the strength of character derived from its exercise. Doubtless it was the previous struggle with the lion and the bear, and the victory God gave him then, that gave David such boldness in defying the power of Goliath. So every battle we fight and every victory we win through faith in God develops strength for future conflicts and makes the more sure our final overcoming.