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The WORD among us

A Catholic Devotional Magazine

based on the Daily Mass Readings

September, 2011

Got Goliaths?

David shows us how to rise above fear and never lose hope.

How do you react in the face of a danger that seems to loom large? It could be a threat on the

global stage, like international terrorism, war, economic crisis, natural disaster, or news of a

possible flu epidemic.

Or it could be something very personal, like an inner temptation that you just can’t seem to

shake or a family crisis, like an alcoholic child, or a financial problem or a marriage that is falling

apart.

Whenever we face these kinds of challenges, we generally have three choices. First, we can let

fear paralyze us into inaction and indecision. Second, we can try to ignore the problem and

carry on as if nothing has changed, pretending that everything is the way it used to be. Or third,

we can face the problem head-on, rising to the challenge and doing all we can to overcome it.

Of course, we know which is the nobler path to take. But it can still seem very intimidating. So

let’s take a look at one story from the Old Testament that shows how one small person changed

the course of events that were far bigger than himself.

A Challenge against God. The time was about 1000 BC, and the place was the land of Canaan.

The Israelites, under King Saul, were being harassed by their constant enemy, the Philistines,

and their morale was low. Both armies were locked in a stand-off, each waiting for the other to

take the first step of aggression. Eventually, the Philistines sent out their champion, a powerful

warrior named Goliath. Day after day, he challenged Israel to send a champion of their own to

fight him in one-on-one combat. Whoever won this face-off would win for his whole army, and

the loser’s army would become the winners’ slaves.

The mere sight of Goliath was enough to fill the Israelites with fear. So much hung in the

balance—their freedom, God’s promises, their hope for the future —and Goliath looked

undefeatable. It’s no wonder that they cowered in terror every time he issued his challenge.

This is where David came in. Hearing how this unbelieving pagan had cowed Israel’s entire

army, David became indignant: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the

armies of the living God?” he demanded (1 Samuel 17:26). It was simply unfathomable to him

that Goliath would be so arrogant and that all Israel would be so scared.

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David’s vision of the situation included a clear ordinary human assessment: troop strength,

Goliath’s proposition, and even the Israelites’ understandable fear. But his vision also included

a spiritual assessment. As far as he was concerned, Goliath was challenging God, and such a

challenge needed to be answered.

“You come to me with sword and spear and javelin,” David cried out to Goliath. “But I come to

you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel” (1 Samuel 17:45). And

with that, he picked up a stone, placed it in his slingshot, and felled the mighty warrior. In an

instant, Israel was delivered, and David became a national hero.

The Challenge of Faith. God wants us to be like David. He wants us to know that we all can look

at threatening, intimidating situations with the eyes of faith. No matter what challenge we are

facing, he wants us to look beyond the simply human elements so that we can take up that

challenge with trust and confidence in him.

The Israelite soldiers let fear convince them that they were just ordinary warriors who were

outmatched by a stronger enemy. Some probably tried to ignore Goliath and continued to

present themselves as mighty, fearless warriors. But David saw it differently. By his words and

actions, he reminded them of their dignity and inspired them to take action. At the sight of

David’s improbable success, “the troops of Israel and Judah rose up with a shout and pursued

the Philistines as far as Gath and the gates of Ekron, so that the wounded Philistines fell on the

way from Shaaraim as far as Gath and Ekron” (1 Samuel 17:52).

God wants us to do in a spiritual way the kind of thing that David did in a military way. We all

face our own fears, anxieties, and concerns. We all have thoughts in our minds or pictures in

our imaginations that threaten to paralyze us. Just as the Israelite army cowered in the face of

Goliath, we might be tempted to shrink back from the violent images of terrorist acts or from

the sight of a family member reaching out in need. We might be tempted to retreat into self-

concern, filling our lives with the familiar and the comfortable rather than rising to the

challenges posed by a changing world or an up-ended life. Or we might look at these challenges

as being far too big for us to deal with.

But this doesn’t have to be our answer! We are not ordinary people. We are members of the

body of Christ, citizens of heaven, and temples of the Holy Spirit. We have access to the wisdom

of God and to the courage and faith that only the Spirit can give. If we stand up to the Goliath-

like emotions that these awful events inspire, God will empower us. No matter how strong or

weak we may feel, we can all adapt David’s cry of faith: “You come at me with

images of fear, but I answer in the name of the Lord of hosts. You try

to convince me that I am powerless and unimportant, but I will stand

up and proclaim that Jesus Christ is my strength. I will not lose hope. I

will rise above fear and intimidation to stand as a beloved, chosen

child of God.”

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There’s Work to Do. Don’t worry if you feel somewhat small, or even silly, making such a

declaration. And by all means, don’t worry if nothing changes right away. Over time, as you

practice this kind of attitude, you’ll find the Holy Spirit moving in you. You will still see the

darkness in the world, but you will also see signs of light. You will be able to acknowledge the

evil that lies behind every act of violence and terror, but you will also believe more fully that in

his wisdom and according to his timing, God will bring good out of every evil. Fear will give way

to hope as you become convinced that God’s love will triumph and that all violence, evil,

hatred, and suffering will be wiped away.

Brothers and sisters, God has work for us to do. Just as he inspired David, God wants to inspire

all of us to do battle against the anxieties of life—the global ones just as much as the everyday

challenges we all face. He wants us to know that each of us can make a difference as we stand

up to the “Goliaths” that try to weaken our faith.