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REFLECTION

Confidence in time of peril is the theme for our reflection. Confidence is the belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something. For Christians, confidence is having faith or relying on God in all situations. Peril on the other hand means serious and immediate danger. We may rephrase the theme as, believing in God or having faith in God when we are faced with serious or immediate danger. 1 Samuel 17 recounts the story of the giant Goliath, who defied the Israelite army, and how the young shepherd David volunteered to fight him. Despite his lack of experience and armour, David killed Goliath with a sling and a stone, stating the battle was the Lord’s and demonstrating God’s power to the world. David then beheaded Goliath, which routed the Philistine army and led to an Israelite victory. 

Beloved in the Lord, Israel was faced with a serious and immediate danger of defeat by the Philistines led by their war lord and commander, Goliath. Saul had lost confidence in this time of peril when the Philistine army stood against the army of Israel. “David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” And Saul (who had lost confidence) said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 1 Samuel 17:32-33)

Dear friend in the Lord the reasons for which we usually lose confidence in time of peril is fear and lack of faith in God. Saul focused on Goliath but David focused on God. What you focus on in time of peril will either weaken your faith or give you confidence in time of peril. David proved his confidence in God when he said to Saul, ““The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you!” (1 Samuel 17:37). David further proved his confidence in the Lord when he approached the perilous Goliath. After Goliath had mocked him and spoken to him with contempt, David was not frightened nor discouraged but confidently said to Goliath “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. 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…” ( 1 Samuel 17:45-46)

Beloved in the Lord, if you are alive today then you have enough reason to have confidence in God that no matter the perilous situations that may come your way, “… the battle is the LORD’S…” (1 Samuel 17:47) and not yours. Like David, we are too feeble to fight or face the perils of life ourselves but God is our strength, hope and armour who shields and gives us victory over the Goliaths in our lives. Enemies and unforeseen calamities or peril may come our way but our confidence and victory is in the Lord. Shalom.

In summary we have discovered that in every perilous situation we find ourselves, we must not focus on the peril or enemy that threatens us but focus on the Almighty God in faith because He is sovereign and has dominion over all entities that threaten our existence.

PRAYER

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” (Psalm 91:1-2) Amen.