"THE NAME OF THE LORD!"

1 Samuel 17:41-47                          (ESV)
" 41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him.
42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance.
43 And 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 The Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field."
45 Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword and 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 down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a GOD in Israel,
47 and that all this assembly may know that the LORD saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hand."



David's father, Jesse, must have been shocked at how his son responded to the enemy of GOD ALMIGHTY, known as Goliath.  David's older brothers and all of the Israeli army saw how large and ferocious Goliath appeared before their military strength, but David compared Goliath to "the GOD of the armies of Israel", not the armies themselves!

When the conversation was controlled by Goliath, the enemy, his attributes were what he tried to focus on.  When David had an opportunity to speak, the focal point swapped to "THE NAME OF THE LORD" of hosts, the GOD of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied".  Have you ever asked the question why didn't David talk about himself and all of the lion and bear he had killed, instead he spoke of "THE NAME OF THE LORD" and what GOD was able to accomplish.  Obviously, David knew to focus on  "THE NAME OF THE LORD"!

Don't get caught up in what the LORD has used you to make happen.  Keep your focus on what "THE NAME OF THE LORD" has brought about in your life, knowing HE can use you, or HE can use someone else to bring HIM Glory!  We all have read how this story plays out, and Goliath wasn't long for "this world"!  "THE NAME OF THE LORD" will be glorified, and HE will not share HIS glory with anyone (Isaiah 42:8)!  We need to elevate and magnify "THE NAME OF THE LORD" and let HIM take care of the battles (v.47)!!!