Day 119 - Goliath is Conquered by The Living Stone!

Today's Reading: 1 Sam. 16-17 and Ps. 48

One of our most favorite Bible stories of all time!

In 1 Samuel 17:49-52 we read how David brought down Goliath with a single stone. After Goliath had fallen, he then pulled out Goliath’s own sword and cut off his head. And then everyone in Israel shouted in victory because, while there were still Philistines to kill, the battle had been won.

Have you ever contemplated the significance of that single stone and what it could represent? What about Christ, the Living Stone (1 Pet. 2:4), who by throwing Himself upon the kingdom of darkness conquered sin and death and set us free? (Rom. 5:17)

However, we not only see a picture of Jesus in this story, we also see the outline of the Great Controversy. Remember the prophecy of Genesis 3:15? It’s significant that David used Goliath’s own sword to cut off his head. Likewise, at Calvary, Satan came after Christ with the sword of death to destroy Him. But Christ through death destroyed "him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." (Heb. 2:14)When Goliath fell, the children of Israel "shouted," most likely something like: "We’ve won! We’ve won!" Had they won? No, David their substitute had won. Then, because their substitute had already gained the victory they pursued the Philistines all the way to their own town.

So what is practical application for our lives today? It's easy to get disheartened by the looming "goliath's" of our lives, but let's look beyond the "goliath" and see Calvary! Christ has gained the victory over Satan for us! Our job is to claim that victory, and accept Christ’s righteousness. Then we can confidently fight the battle against sin in our own life knowing we will be victorious, because Christ has already gained the victory for us on the cross. But what are we trusting in this battle: our own strength, or the smooth “Living Stone” drawn from the water of life?

Tomorrow's Reading: 1 Sam. 18-19 and Mark 14