Right after David tells King Saul of his decision to take on Goliath, there is an interesting exchange that happens between the now and future kings of Israel, as we read in I Samuel 17:33-37.

Saul discourages David by saying: “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for you are a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.”

Rather than take the royal No as the final answer, David makes a case for him to be permitted the privilege of facing the giant:

“Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”

 

David recounts occasions when he was clearly at a disadvantage.  A youth up against a lion and a bear. A featherweight facing a heavyweight. A meek and mild lad matched up against a ferocious beast.

 

Yet he was not at all deterred by being the underdog in size, weight, strength, experience or speed. All he needed was to have the heart of a lion, not its body. A mighty bear was no match for his bare hands.

 

He was basically telling Saul: “Please do not be fooled by my age and inexperience in fighting another human being. I have proven by what I did in subduing these wild beasts that I am capable of taking on giants and slaying them. First the lion. Then the bear. And now Goliath. He too will meet the same fate as the other two.”

 

Then he adds the clincher: “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.”

 

Different opponent. But the same God. Deliverance is the Lord’s. What He did before He will do again.

 

At that point, Saul relents: “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

 

This exchange between Saul and David carries an important message for all of us as we advance toward our destiny, doesn’t it? In a nutshell: “Do not underestimate the power of past victories to propel you to greater victories in the present.”

 

While the enemy would have us pre-play the prospect of failure at the hands of the giant we are facing (as did the Israelite army) or replay instances of failure in the past, God wants us to rehearse and re-hash our past victories and prepare for our greatest victory yet!

 

One of the best ways to ensure that our past victories are available for instant replay is to keep a daily journal. Entries of small but significant victories over alluring temptation or attacking demons can come back to help us defeat the Goliaths that stand in our way.

 

When we read through our journals, we begin to see how God’s hand was operational in our lives, snatching victory from the sure jaws of defeat. When we realize that the same God is still at work in us, it gives us the confidence to face and win every battle that we face in life, amen?

 

Dear DWOD friend, do you keep a journal? Even if you do not record everything that happens every day, please take the time to at least enter the victories you enjoy along the way. You will never know when you, like David, will need to rehearse them as you take on Goliath and make short work of your giant.