REFERENCE BIBLE VERSES
1 Samuel 16:12-13 (ESV) | … And Samuel said to Jesse, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.
Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) | And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples … And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
OBJECTIVES
To understand that before we can influence others, it starts with experiencing God.
To understand that we need to be secure in order to lead others more qualified than us.
CONTENT
Before Goliath, God Anointed David
- David’s victory over Goliath is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. People often celebrate his boldness and confidence as he faced the giant. Yet the real foundation of that confidence is found before the battle.
- In 1 Samuel 17:34–37, David tells Saul: “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. … Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them… 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.”
- David’s courage did not appear suddenly on the battlefield. It was built through earlier experiences of God’s faithfulness. Those private victories with the lion and the bear prepared him for the public confrontation with Goliath.
- This is why the order of the chapters matters. 1 Samuel 16 comes before 1 Samuel 17. Before David ever faced the Philistine, God had already anointed him. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. The anointing was not just a ceremony—it was the beginning of a life lived under God’s authority and presence.
- David’s confidence was never rooted in his own ability, his youth, or his skill with a sling. It was rooted in the fact that God had called him, anointed him, and walked with him. Because he had experienced God he could stand with boldness.
Speaking and Leading with Confidence
- Years later, we meet the same David in a very different season of life. He is no longer the young shepherd facing a giant. He is the king preparing for the construction of the temple—a project far beyond his personal skill set.
- In 1 Chronicles 22:15–16, David says to Solomon: You have an abundance of workmen: stonecutters, masons, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled in working gold, silver, bronze and iron. Arise and work! The Lord be with you!
- David is giving clear direction to people who are far more qualified and specialized than he is in their crafts. He is not a master stonecutter, goldsmith, or architect. Yet he leads them with calm authority and without hesitation.
- Look at 1 Chronicles 22:18: Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand, and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people.
- David’s confidence is not the modern idea of “fake it till you make it.” It is the quiet assurance that comes from years of walking with God. From the anointing in 1 Samuel 16, through the lion and the bear, through Goliath, through the years of running from Saul, David had learned that God was the true source of his authority. The skilled craftsmen were not a threat to him—they were God’s provision to fulfill God’s plan.
- The same authority has been extended to us. In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him. Then He commands His disciples: “Go therefore…” and promises, “I am with you always.”
- Because Jesus holds all authority, and because He has sent us under that authority, we do not need to envy those who are more capable in certain areas. We do not need to feel insecure when we lead people who are more skilled than we are. Our security rests in the One who called us and who remains with us.
CONCLUSION
Heaven’s authority changes everything.
Before we can multiply influence, we must first experience God—just as David experienced Him in the fields long before he stood before Goliath. And once we know that God has given us authority to do His work, we can lead with quiet confidence, even when those around us are more gifted in specific areas.
We do not lead from personal superiority. We lead from divine assignment.
Like David, we can look at the people God has placed around us—whether more skilled, more experienced, or more talented—and say with security: “Arise and work! The Lord be with you.”
Because the authority is not ours. It is Heaven’s.
REFLECTION/DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- David’s confidence against Goliath was built on earlier private experiences with God (the lion and the bear). What “lion and bear” experiences has God already given you that can become the foundation for greater influence?
- In what area of life or ministry do you currently feel insecure when leading or working with people who seem more qualified than you? How does the truth of Matthew 28:18–20 (“All authority… has been given to me… I am with you always”) speak to that insecurity?
REFERENCES