Stepping Into God’s Story.

Stepping Into God’s Story

A Devotional from David and Goliath

Pastor Calvin Cook,

January 8, 2026

Scripture: 1 Samuel 17:45–47 (NIV) : “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty… For the battle is the Lord’s.”

I love how the Holy Spirit in any season we are in will speak. I am preparing a small group study on a simplistic way of looking at discipleship and what it means to be a disciple? I am reading various articles and publications comparing these ideas and my own thoughts with scripture, making sure what is developed is accurate and moving into the very being and heart of God.

The story of David and Goliath is familiar, but I think just the simple reading of it as a Sunday School story does not give us the full story. David was in a place where he was sent by his earthly father to bring comfort for others. David was sent to take water, food, and comfort measures to the battlefield. While there David’s bigger purpose was realized that through the anointing of God nothing would be impossible.

While thinking about the story of David and Goliath, a couple of truths more like questions emerged. Are we fighting the giants in our life for our purpose or for God’s glory? David cast off the armor of the warrior substituting it with a simple sling shot and specially selected stone. Are we weighed down by what the world tells us is the way forward or simply the simplistic way of being faithful against all odds. Are we making what God wants us to do way to hard?  And the final thought being are we to simply view God’s story from the sideline or to stand firm and be part of the story?

David might have come to the battlefield as a spectator or for some other purpose, but certainly God had another plan.  He didn’t stand back and hang out with the guys talking about what ifs, recalling what God had done in the past, he trusted God in the present. While the people of Israel saw a giant that could not be defeated, David saw a God who  was bigger than any giant, more powerful than any weapon. Because of his confidence “I come against you in the name of Lord”  was the most powerful statement of faith and suddenly it was not about his strength, his stature or his skill as a warrior it was about the greatness of the Lord.

David understood something the others missed something we miss today: the battle did not belong to him. “The battle is the Lord’s.” Goliath’s size did not intimidate David because David had already learned how big God truly is. Trusting God did not remove the giant, it revealed God’s power in the middle of the impossible.

There are still giants in front of us, they all look different to each of us. Whether the giant in your life is fear, uncertainty, loss, sickness, or failure. We can either remain on the sidelines, talking about it, knowing God’s story and that God has a plan, but never stepping into it, or we can trust God enough to participate. Faith is not about having all the answers; it is about trusting God when the situation feels beyond us. Not allowing some burdensome earthly armor to weigh us down and render us defeated before we even start.

Our lives on this earth are temporary, but our story in God is eternal. David’s victory pointed beyond that moment to a greater truth: when we place our lives in God’s hands, our story continues far beyond what we can see. Life is not just about getting through each day, it is about discovering how truly big God is.

When we trust God with the impossible, we begin to see that our lives are not small or insignificant. They are part of God’s unfolding story—one that continues into eternity.

At some point in life, we are going to have to decide what story we want to part of. What path we want to take. What plan we want to follow. This is all part of “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven”

Prayer: Lord, move me from simply knowing Your story to living within it. Help me trust You when life feels impossible and teach me to see how truly great You are. I place my life in Your hands, now and forever. Amen.