“Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, “Why do you come out and line up for battle? Am I not a Philistine, and are you not the servants of Saul? Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Then the Philistine said, “This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.” On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified.” 1 Samuel 17: 8-11
Discouragement and disapproval often go together and can affect our ability to act courageously. Here, the Israelites are shown to be discouraged in their attempt to defeat Goliath, and when David was advised in similar discouragement, he chose to ignore it and continue as he knew he should. He faced disapproval from his family for trying to take on Goliath and the discouragement felt by the Israelite army surely affected the disapproval David’s warrior brothers showed him. There will be people in our lives who discourage us against what we fight for and disapprove of what we are trying to do, but we can trust that God will be with us when we are battling giants in His name.
Prayer: Lord, when I am discouraged, help me to remain strong in my convictions. When I feel disapproval as I try to fight my Goliath, show me ways to find strength in you. Let me find ways to keep going even when I may feel alone or without support. I know you are with me and I hold to you even when those around me are not able to understand the path I walk. Thank you for your steadfastness. Amen.