David & Goliath * {David Series #2}

from the desk of . . .

Rande Wayne Smith

D.Min., Th.M., M.Div.

 

David Series - 2

DAVID & GOLIATH

 

… based on 1 Samuel 17:4-11

Chuck Knoll, the legendary football coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers was giving his scouts some advice on what to look for when they were recruiting college players. He said, “There’s a player that when you knock him down … he stays down.” One of the scouts interrupted, “We don’t want that player, do we Coach?”

Coach Knoll said, “No, we don’t want that player.”

“Then there’s the player that when you knock him down, he gets back up.

You knock him & he gets back up. And you knock him down again & he gets back up.” And the scout jumps in, “that’s the player we want, isn’t it Coach?”

 

Coach Knoll replies, “No, we don’t want that player either.

We want the guy who’s knocking everybody down!”

So, do you feel like you’re getting knocked down by the opposition these days  … or do you feel that you’re knocking down the opposition? This morning we’re going to look at one of the most familiar stories in Scripture; about a guy who was famous for being able to knock down the opposition … even though the opposition was a 9-foot-tall giant named Goliath.

 

So, listen now to Good News, as recorded in 1 Samuel, to us who have gathered here for worship. Within our hearing now comes the Word of the Lord …

 

A man named Goliath, from the city of Gath, came out from the Philistine camp to challenge the Israelites. He was over nine feet tall and wore bronze armor that weighed about 125 pounds and a bronze helmet.

His legs were also protected by bronze armor, and he carried a bronze javelin slung over his shoulder. His spear was as thick as the bar on a weaver’s loom, and its iron head weighed about fifteen pounds. A soldier walked in front of him carrying his shield. Goliath stood and shouted at the Israelites, “What are you doing there, lined up for battle? I am a Philistine, you slaves of Saul! Choose one of your men to fight me. If he wins and kills me, we will be your slaves; but if I win and kill him, you will be our slaves.

Here and now I challenge the Israelite army. I dare you to pick someone to fight me!” When Saul and his men heard this, they were terrified.

 

(1 Samuel 17:4-11)

 

“The grass withers & flowers fade,

but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

 

May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen

We’re in the 2nd week of an 8-week series on David, of whom Scripture provides more information about than anyone else, including Jesus. Last week we looked at David & his mentor, Samuel. Samuel anointed David to become the future king of Israel. (1 Samuel 16:13) David was just a teenager (13,14,15) when that happened in his hometown of Bethlehem. Israel’s 1st king, Saul, was still in power, & knew nothing about that private ceremony.

Now, Saul had lots of issues & was becoming dangerously disturbed, increasingly wicked, emotionally unhinged. (1 Samuel 16:14) So, his servants thought music might soothe Saul’s troubled nerves. And they began to look all over the countryside for a musician. And then, interestingly, someone suggested David, “who was a good musician.” (1 Samuel 16:18) And David was hired. This went on for several years. David played for Saul & then went home & took care of his father’s sheep. He went back & forth, back & forth. (1 Samuel 17:15)

 

Time moves on & David, who’s now probably 20, (Numbers 1:3) is asked by his father, Jesse, to check on his 3 older brothers who are serving in Saul’s army. They’re fighting a battle with the Philistines about 15 miles away. 

Jesse wants David to take some bread to them & bring back a report on what’s happening in the war. (1 Samuel 17:17-18)

 

A little sidebar on the Philistines … they were the Hebrews worst nightmare.

The Philistines were known for their ability to make things with iron. And so, their army was equipped with iron swords, spears with iron tips, iron armor, & they rode in iron chariots. And the Hebrews had none of that stuff. In fact, just a couple chapters before this we read that there were only 2 swords in the entire army of Israel. “On the day of battle none of the Israelite soldiers except Saul & his son Jonathan had swords or spears.” (1 Samuel 13:22)

 

About this time the Philistines offer a challenge to the Hebrews.

“Instead of army fighting army & a lot of people getting killed, we have an idea. How about we practice some representative warfare, (which was often done in the ancient world)? We will send a champion from our army out to fight a champion from your army. If our guy wins, we rule you, you serve us.

 

If your guy wins, you rule us, we serve you.”

 

Now this sounded like an acceptable idea for Israel … until they saw the representative warrior from the Philistines. He was a 9-foot-tall giant named Goliath. Scripture reports that he wore a suit of armor that weighed 125 lbs. He carried a spear with a shaft several inches thick, with an iron point that weighed 15 lbs. And … he had an attitude. (Jon, come up here.)

Everyday Goliath would stroll out between the 2 armies & taunt the Hebrews … “Where’s your champion?” And this went on morning & night for 40 days, & the Israelites were terrified. (1 Samuel 17:24) No one wanted to face Goliath. And this is where we pick up the story. David has just arrived, bringing food for his brothers. And he observes Goliath taunting the Israelite army

 

… & the army cowering in fear.

 

Now as we look at this story, we’re going to see 5 directives for defeating our “Goliaths.” I don’t know what giant you’re currently facing, there’s lots of intimidating things out there, right now. But I do know that David beat his Goliath, & therefore he has something to teach us about beating ours.

 

#1 … recognize our enemy.

 

When David observes this scene of Goliath taunting the Hebrews, & them cowering in fear … he’s incensed. He’s angry. “Who is this heathen Philistine to defy the army of the living God?” (1 Samuel 17:26)  David calls him a “heathen Philistine.” That means that he didn’t belong to God’s chosen people. He didn’t belong to the 1 true living God. And Goliath wasn’t just a neutral outsider … he was a blatant enemy. Not just a muscle flexing, spear toting, trash talking giant … he was a God defying giant. Not just a physical enemy … he was a spiritual enemy.  It’s important that we understand this. Scripture warns that when we follow Christ, we can expect opposition from a spiritual enemy. And just who is this enemy? … (Satan)

 

Actually, Ephesians 6 is a terrific commentary on this story. “We are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, & cosmic powers of this dark age. So put on God’s armor now!” (Ephesians 6:12-13) Our struggle, Paul explains, isn’t against human beings. What he means is that our real enemy is not a person.

 

Our real enemy is not an ex-spouse, or the bill collector, (if our Goliath is a stack of unpaid bills), or a former friend who’s now gossiping about us.

 

Our real enemy is the Devil, & his wicked forces. Now this was something that Jesus was concerned about too, & He prayed to God for us. “I ask you to keep them safe from the Evil One.” (John 17:15) Peter warns us, “Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) So, just as there’s an unseen God, who loves us & cares for us …there’s an invisible, spiritual enemy who hates us, & wants to destroy us. Whatever our “Goliath” is today … there’s a Goliath behind our “Goliath.” 

 

The real problem is not that we’re sick, or getting old, or don’t have enough money, or any friends; the real problem is that that’s paralyzing us with discouragement. Our spiritual enemy wants to tempt us to sin. Our spiritual enemy wants to destroy our relationships.

 

He wants to undermine our character.

 

He wants us to so fret over our problems that we forget about God. Let’s learn a lesson from David, we’re not just facing a giant, we’re facing a God defying giant. Don’t miss the fact that there’s a spiritual dimension to our battle. Ask God to help you recognize the real enemy.

 

#2 … ignore our detractors.

 

David decided to put an end to Goliath’s God defying taunts. “If nobody else is going to take this guy down … I’ll do it.” But as soon as David made up his mind to take on the giant a couple of detractors began to mock him for even considering such a thing.

 

Detractor #1 … his oldest brother, Eliab. “What are you doing here?  Who is taking care of those sheep of yours out there in the wilderness? You smart aleck, you! You just came to watch the fighting!” (1 Samuel 17:28) Talk about an encouraging older brother; makes me glad I’m an only child. Eliab accuses David of abandoning his responsibilities back home.

 

“That’s the only thing you have to do, & you’re even doing that!” What’s Eliab’s problem? … Scripture doesn’t come right out & say it, but I think it’s jealously. Eliab had been in the room when Samuel passed over him, & each of his brothers, (1 Samuel 16:10) until little David got anointed as the next king of Israel. Eliab was just plain jealous.

 

The 2nd detractor is King Saul. “How could you fight Goliath? You’re just a boy, & he has been a soldier all his life!” (1 Samuel 17:33) At 1st that seems somewhat commendable. It sounds like Saul doesn’t want David to get killed. But I think there’s a deeper motivation … personal embarrassment.

 

Who should have been fighting Goliath? … (Saul!) Saul was Israel’s leader. He was a seasoned warrior.

 

Saul, Scripture reports, was “in the prime of life … & a foot taller than anyone else in Israel.” (1 Samuel 9:2) So, Goliath may have been like an N.B.A. center … but Saul was at least a power forward. He should have been out there, but he wasn’t. In fact, he was offering incentives to anyone who would go out & fight Goliath. “King Saul … promised to give a big reward to the man who kills Goliath; the king will also give him his daughter to marry,  (which may or may not have been a good thing), & will not require his father’s family to pay taxes.” (1 Samuel 17:25) … All that, & yet nobody signed up. And then, when David volunteers to fight Goliath, Saul’s embarrassed.

 

When we’re facing a giant …we can be sure that detractors will come out of the woodwork. They will mock our efforts, they will tell us why we can’t possibly succeed, they’ll remind us of our past failures, they’ll point out the enormous size of our problems, & they’ll advise us that the best thing we can do is throw in the towel. “You’re not going to be able to solve that issue. You’re not going to be able to overcome that problem. You’re not going to … you’re not going to … you’re not going to.” Now sometimes these detractors are people we know. At other times they’re impersonal, like the news. Is there anything more discouraging than watching the news? Why do we do this to ourselves? We know that the economy has dropped … the job rate has dropped … our investments have dropped … the housing market has dropped … retail sales have dropped.

 

And we hear this stuff all day long, day after day. If our Goliath has anything to do with finances … we’re just shooting ourselves in the foot by watching all this stuff. Don’t allow anyone, or the media, or anything else limit what God is capable of doing. (Luke 1:37)

 

#3 … rehearse our victories.

 

“‘Your Majesty,’ David said, ‘I take care of my father’s sheep. Any time a lion or a bear carries off a lamb, I go after it, attack it, & rescue the lamb. And if the lion or bear turns on me, I grab it by the throat & beat it to death. I have killed lions & bears, & I will do the same to this heathen Philistine, who has defied the army of the living God. The LORD has saved me from lions & bears; he will save me from this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:34-37) Why was David so sure that he could take down Goliath?

 

Because David, with God’s help, had already taken down lions & bears. David had a wonderful habit which I commend to all of us. Whenever he faced a new problem, a new adversity, a new enemy, David rehearsed past occasions when he had taken on problems, enemies, & adversities … & defeated them with God’s help. The Psalms are full of these kinds of references. “My enemies have hunted me down & completely defeated me. They have put me in a dark prison, & I am like those who died long ago. So I am ready to give up; I am in deep despair.” (The Psalms 143:3-4) (He’s facing some fierce opposition. But listen to the next statement.) “I remember the days gone by; I think about all that you have done,

 

I bring to mind all your deeds.” (The Psalms 143:5) He’s rehearsing past victories. When facing new “Goliaths” we need to do a quick review of old “Goliaths” we’ve already beaten.I remember a friend of mine, Dave Frick, telling me that when he traveled he always took pictures along: of his wife, of his 3 kids, of his farm, etc. It was like a little brag book. But Dave never showed it to anyone else.

 

It was simply to keep him in a right perspective.

 

Now, obviously,

 

I can’t speak for women, but when guys travel there’s the temptation to do stupid things that they wouldn’t do if their wives were with them. Dave would open his photo album & remind himself how God was blessing him. What I’m suggesting is that we all would do well to create a little “photo album,” of those times when God has intervened in our lives, when God has shown up, when God has delivered us. And then, when we’re facing our next “Goliath,” all we need to do is open that “photo album,” & remind ourselves of how faithful God has been.

 

Some of us can look back to a time when we had no job, & God provided one.

 

Some of us can look back to a time when we were really discouraged & God brought us through. Some of us can look back to when we had some serious health issues & God brought healing. We have picture after picture of God showing up in our lives. He helped us take out the “lion,” He helped us take out the “bear” … & He’ll help us take out Goliath.

Now as you’re thinking about your own picture album, but you don’t know where to begin, let me suggest a picture or 2. The very 1 st picture I want to put in that album is of Jesus dying on the cross in my place. (Hebrews 2:17) You see, it’s because of our sins that we deserve God’s punishment. Our sins bring eternal separation from God. But Jesus took that penalty in our place. If we want a picture of God showing up in our life & intervening … that’s one to put in our photo album.

 

Here’s another one … put a picture of Jesus, with, His arm wrapped around you/me. He says, “I know you’ve screwed things up pretty badly, but I want to lead you through this. Let me lead.” Rehearse your victories.

 

#4 … know our weapons.

 

“Saul gave his own armor to David for him to wear; a bronze helmet, which he put on David’s head, & a coat of armor. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor & tried to walk, but he couldn’t because he wasn’t used to wearing them. ‘I can’t fight with all this,’ he said to Saul. ‘I’m not used to it.’ So he took it all off. He took his shepherd’s stick & then picked up 5 smooth stones from the stream & put them in his bag. With his sling ready, he went out to meet Goliath.” (1 Samuel 17:37-40)

 

Don’t miss what’s being taught here.

 

A lot of people see David’s giving up the protective armor of Saul & going out to meet Goliath, totally defenseless, with a little bitty slingshot … which proves that God alone brings the victory. Well, that’s not it at all.

Slingshots, in the ancient world, were not little boy’s toys. Slingshots were soldier’s weapons. Armies used them as far back as 2,000 B.C. In the book of Judges we read that included in the Israelite army were, “700 specially chosen men who were left-handed. Every one of them could sling a stone at a strand of hair & never miss.” (Judges 20:16) Slingshots were deadly weapons of war. And if you’re imagining David picking up some marble size stones, again, you have a wrong image in your head. The stones he would have chosen would have been the size of a baseball. And when it struck Goliath from David’s sling it was going well over 200 miles an hour. The point is, David didn’t turn down Saul’s armor for a little boy’s slingshot. No, he chose the slingshot because that’s the weapon he was familiar with.

 

In our spiritual battle God has given us a weapon to use. In Paul’s letter to the Church in Ephesus, he writes … “Put on God’s armor now! … so … you will be able to resist the enemy’s attacks.” (Ephesus 6:13) Now there are 6 pieces of armor … 5 are defensive; the 6 th is an offensive weapon, & that’s the one we want to look at. There’s the belt of truth … the breastplate of righteousness … the gospel shoes … the shield of faith … & the helmet of salvation. And then, finally, the only offensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. (Ephesians 6:14-17)

 

This is the weapon that God has given us to face our Goliath? Paul writes: “You have … the Holy Scriptures, which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Timothy 3:15) I remember when my kids went to Summer Church Camp, they had Bible drills. The leader would say, “Draw your swords.” And everyone would lift their Bible high. Then she would announce some random Scripture verse, & the kids would scramble to see who could find it 1st . When they did, they would stand up & read it.

 

When we’re facing a Goliath in our lives it’s critical that we know where to turn in God’s Word to deal with it. We need to be as skilled in handling this Book as David was in the use of his slingshot. Because this is our weapon.

 

And if you’re not really proficient with Scripture … hey, you’ve come to the right place. We study Scripture here.

 

I preach the Bible. Debbie leads a Bible Study.

 

One of the dear saints from my last congregation was Ann Dean. She’s with her Lord now; what a special lady. I remember her coming to my office one day & wanting to know what to do with her Bible … it had fallen apart. I told her to take her notes out of it & put it in the recycling bin & then get a new Bible. She said that it seemed almost sacrilegious.

 

You know what’s sacrilegious? …

 

To live an entire life & never wear out a Bible; to let it just sit there & gather dust. Listen … God couldn’t have been more pleased with Ann, or anyone else whose Bible falls apart because of use.

Okay, we have to:

1. Recognize our enemy
2. Ignore our detractors
3. Rehearse our victories
4. Know our weapon, &

 

#5 … expect our God.

 

We’ve got to expect God to show up. Now I’m going to skip all of Goliath’s trash talk about what he’s going to do to David. But understand, David’s able to hold his own here.

 

“‘You are coming against me with sword, spear, & javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty … which you have defied. This very day the LORD will put you in my power; I will defeat you …. Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God, & everyone here will see that the LORD does not need swords or spears to save his people.

 

He is victorious in battle, & he will put all of you in our power.’ “Goliath started walking toward David again, & David ran quickly toward the Philistine battle line to fight him. He reached into his bag & took out a stone, which he slung at Goliath. It hit him on the forehead & broke his skull, & Goliath fell face downward on the ground. And so, without a sword, David defeated & killed Goliath with a sling & a stone!” (1 Samuel 17:45-50) So, what makes David so confident that he’s going to be able to do to Goliath what he says he’s going to do? It’s because he’s certain that God is going to show up. We may be facing a 9-foot-tall Goliath, & we seem so small standing there. But the truth of the matter is that our God is a big God, & Goliath dwarfs in His presence. And when God shows up, which we can expect Him to do, Goliath tumbles down.

 

Okay, let’s make this practical.

 

Some Goliaths we’re facing today seem insurmountable. But they’re not.

 

Let me remind you what we’ve learned from David.

1. Recognize your enemy.  (See the real enemy behind the superficial Goliath, the spiritual enemy.)

2. Ignore your detractors.  (Whoever they might be telling you to throw in the towel.)

3. Rehearse your victories.  (In fact, maybe some good homework this week would be to sit down & compile a list on paper of times that God has intervened in your life & pray it back to Him. “Lord, we took out that lion, didn’t we? We took out that bear, didn’t we God? And now Lord, we can defeat this ‘Goliath,’ you & me.”)

 

4. Know your weapon. (I know I’ve said this to you 5,280 times over the past several years. Spend time in this book. Read it daily.)

 

And then, expect God to show up. (And watch our “Goliath” tumble.)

MARANA THA

David & Samuel *. {David Series #1}

 … based on 1 Samuel 16:1-13

from the desk of . . . Rande Wayne Smith

D.Min., Th.M., M.Div. 3 August 2025

DAVID & SAMUEL  {David #1}

The story is told about a photojournalist who was ordered by his newspaper editor to go & take some pictures of a raging forest fire. So, he tells his editor that to do the job right he needed a pilot & an airplane. The editor replied, “Fine, they’ll be waiting for you at the airport … get going.” So, he arrives at this small rural airport, & sure enough there’s this plane warming up on the side of the runway. So, he runs over & throws all his equipment in & climbs aboard, yelling, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” The pilot acknowledges & they take off. And as they get in the air the photojournalist turns to the pilot & says, “Now I want you to get as close to the forest fire as you possibly can, & then we’re going to make 2 or 3 low sweeps over the area.” The pilot looks at him, somewhat startled & asks, “Why would we want to do that?”

“Because I’m a photojournalist, & photojournalists take pictures.” The pilot kind of looks at him … “You mean you’re not the flight instructor?”

There are times when we could all use a flight instructor. Not someone to help us fly a plane, but someone who could give us directions in life. There’s a word for such a person … mentor. And if we look up “mentor” in the dictionary we’ll find … “a wise counselor, a loyal advisor, a guide.” Now I realize that I’m no longer the target audience in this technological age that we’re living in. Listen to this sentence that I copied out of last week’s Time magazine. “The digital technology of the future will rely on artificial intelligence to enhance user experience & automate repetitive tasks, while information technology will play a crucial role in managing & storing vast amounts of data.” ?????

Help! I need a guide, an advisor, a mentor to get me through these sunset years of my life. And with that in mind, I want to begin an 8-week series on David, & today we’re going to discover what to look for in a mentor.

Listen now to Good News, as found in 1 st Samuel, to us who have gathered

here for worship. Within our hearing comes the Word of the Lord … The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you go on grieving over Saul? I have rejected him as king of Israel. But now get some olive oil and go to Bethlehem, to a man named Jesse, because I have chosen one of his sons to be king.”

“How can I do that?” Samuel asked. “If Saul hears about it, he will kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a calf with you and say that you are there to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will tell you what to do. You will anoint as king the man I tell you to.” Samuel did what the LORD told him to do and went to Bethlehem, where the city leaders came trembling to meet him and asked, “Is this a peaceful visit, seer?”

“Yes,” he answered. “I have come to offer a sacrifice to the LORD. Purify yourselves and come with me.” He also told Jesse and his sons to purify themselves, and he invited them to the sacrifice.

When they arrived, Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab and said to himself, “This man standing here in the LORD’S presence is surely the one he has chosen.” But the LORD said to him, “Pay no attention to how tall and handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.” Then Jesse called his son Abinadab and brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, “No, the LORD hasn’t chosen him either.” Jesse then brought Shammah. “No, the LORD hasn’t chosen him either,” Samuel said. In this way Jesse brough seven of his sons to Samuel. And Samuel said to him, “No, the LORD hasn’t chosen any of these.” Then he asked him, “Do you have any more sons?”

Jesse answered, “There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.”

“Tell him to come here,” Samuel said. “We won’t offer the sacrifice until he comes.” So Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, and his eyes sparkled. The LORD said to Samuel, “This is the one –anoint him!” Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers. Immediately the spirit of the LORD took control of David and was with him from that day on. (1 Samuel 16:1-13)

“The grass withers & flowers fade, but the word of our God endures forever.” (Isaiah 40:8)

May the Lord grant that we may engage in contemplating the mysteries of His Heavenly wisdom with really increasing devotion, to His glory and to our edification. Amen David’s life was filled with important relationships … some good, some bad … so we can learn a # of lessons from him on how to develop positive connections.

The 1 st thing I want to tell you is that there’s more in Scripture about David than any other person … & that includes Jesus. There’s a lot of material to work with … 55 chapters on David’s life in 1st & 2nd Samuel, 2 in 1 st Kings, 29 in 1 st Chronicles, 73 Psalms, + 59 references in the N.T. … so, we can get to know him really well.

This morning we’re going to begin with David & his mentor … Samuel. And as we talk about this, I want you to think about what to look for in a mentor. The truth of the matter is, each one of us needs a spiritual mentor, a trusted counselor, a guide, somebody we can turn to when we need wise input.

In fact, as I was preparing this message I stopped & reflected on my own life & I came up with 37 mentors. 37 friends, family members, teachers, Pastors, authors … who have “mentored” me in a positive way. Whatever the issue may be, we all need mentors; someone we can bounce stuff off of. So, what qualities should we be looking for in a good mentor? I’m going to give you 5 that we find in Samuel, who was David’s mentor.

#1 … look for someone who listens to God.

Let’s begin with some background. Samuel’s Mom, Hannah, was infertile.

And in the ancient world a woman’s entire worth was tied up in her ability to have kids. So, it was devastating for Hannah to be childless. One day she was at the local synagogue, worshiping, & she was just pouring her heart out to God. In fact, she was praying so passionately that Eli, the local priest, thought she was drunk. So, he went over to her & said,

“Stop making a drunken show of yourself! Stop your drinking & sober up!”

(Ladies, in case you missed it.

We guys have been misunderstanding women for 1,000’s of years.) “‘I’m not drunk, sir,’ she answered. ‘I haven’t been drinking! I am desperate, & I have been praying, pouring out my troubles to the LORD. Don’t think I am a worthless woman. I have been praying like this because I’m so miserable.’” (1 Samuel 1:14-16) And she tells Eli her story.

And Eli, at that point, blesses Hannah.

So, she leaves the synagogue & it wasn’t long until she discovers that

she’s pregnant. She has a baby boy, & names him, Samuel. And when Samuel

gets to be a young man, Hannah drops him off at the synagogue to live …

to become an apprentice to Eli.

Now one night Samuel is lying in bed & he hears a voice. It’s God’s voice. “Before dawn, while the lamp was still burning, the LORD called Samuel.” (Samuel’s never heard God’s voice before, so thinking it was Eli who called, he goes into his room & wakes him up.) “You called me, & here I am.” “But Eli answered, ‘My son, I didn’t call you; go back to bed.’

“The LORD called Samuel again. The boy did not know that it was the LORD,  because the LORD had never spoken to him before.

So he got up, went to Eli, & said, ‘You called me, & here I am.’ “But Eli answered, ‘My son, I didn’t call you; go back to bed.’ “The LORD called Samuel a 3 rd time; he got up, went to Eli, & said, ‘You called me, & here I am.’

“Then Eli realized that it was the LORD who was calling the boy, so he said to him, ‘Go back to bed; & if he calls you again, say, ‘Speak, LORD, your servant is listening.” So Samuel went back to bed.

“The LORD came & stood there, & called as he had before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’

“Samuel answered, ‘Speak; your servant is listening.’” (1 Samuel 3:4-10)

When we’re seeking counsel or searching for guidance for our lives, it’s critical that we find mentors who are in close touch with God. It’s essential that we turn to people who pray & are familiar with Scripture. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve seen people mess up their lives … doing really stupid things because they’ve sought counsel from friends who don’t know Jesus, or from some secular counselor.

Let me give you some real simple advice when it comes to choosing mentors. Don’t listen to people who don’t listen to God. And please understand, just because people call themselves followers of Jesus, or attend worship services, doesn’t mean that they’re listening to God. Whenever someone tells me, “I’m seeing a counselor.” My 1st response is, “that’s great; we can all use the input of a good counselor.

He’s/she’s a Christian counselor I hope?” … “Well, I think they’re Christian.” What do you mean … you think? Do they have a “fish” symbol on their business card? Or do you “think” they’re Christian because they apply principles from God’s Word, & pray with you?

We want a Christian counselor with a capital “C”. #2 … we want a mentor who says hard things.

I love the story of the young C.E.O. of a high-tech corporation. As he steps into his job the retiring C.E.O. takes him into his office & hands him 3 envelopes. The young fellow asks, “what’s this?” The retiring C.E.O. tells him, “They’re for when you get in trouble. I’ve numbered them in the order that you’re to open them.”

Things go wonderfully for 6 months or so, but then sales begin to drop off, & so the young C.E.O. goes into his office & rips open envelope #1 & pulls out the piece of paper. Its’ message … “Blame your predecessor.” Thinking that this is very generous of the previous C.E.O. he calls a press conference & announces … “I’m trying to fix things, but I was given all this mess from the previous head of the corporation.” Everybody buys it, the news magazines write favorable stories, & business picks up.

About a year later things go bad again. So, he goes into his office & rips open envelope #2 & pulls out the sheet of paper. The message, “Get new people.” So, he fires a bunch of employees & hires a whole new staff. And sure enough, business takes off again. But about a year later, here we go again. So he goes back into his office, rips open envelope #3, & takes out the sheet of paper. The message, “Prepare 3 envelopes.”

We must not look for quick fixes. We must not look for people who will say what we want them to say. We need mentors who will say hard things to us.

Samuel was a mentor who didn’t pull any punches.

Samuel wasn’t afraid to get into the face of anyone who needed his counsel, even if that anyone was a king.

Israel’s 1st king was a screw-up named Saul.

And Samuel had been a mentor to Saul … but Saul never listened to him. There are a # of stories that indicate this but let me give you the clincher. Samuel had gone to Saul with a word from God. It had to do with the Amalekites. Now the Amalekites were an extremely wicked, warlike people who had continually been a thorn in Hebrew’s side. Finally, God had had enough. It was time for judgment. So, he sends word to Saul through Samuel, “I want you to attack the Amalekites. I want you to wipe them out. Take no prisoners. Take no booty. Just destroy everything.” (1 Samuel 15:3) But Saul, which was his habit, doesn’t completely obey. He takes some of the best stuff for himself & his men. So, God sends Samuel to confront Saul. “Because you rejected the LORD’S command, he has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:23) Saul blew off Samuel’s counsel one too many times. Do we welcome the input of people who will say hard things to us? Do we welcome the input of the person who says, “Your schedule is just way too busy”? Do we welcome the input of the person who says, “It’s time to start taking care of yourself. You need to curb your eating, smoking, drinking.

It’s time to forgive & let go of your resentment.”

Do we welcome the input of the person who will say hard things to us?

Now there’s an easy test we can take on this score. Ask yourself, “What’s the most recent ‘hard thing’ someone has said to me?” And I’m not talking about some crank here, but what was the last hard thing that some well-meaning person said to you? And if we can’t bring anything to mind, it’s probably not because we’re perfect, but because we don’t have mentors who are willing to say the hard things.

#3 … we want a mentor who prays.

For 20 years the Hebrews had been under the thumb of the Philistines. The Philistines had gone so far as to capture the Ark of the Covenant & take it away. (1 Samuel 4:11) (Now most people are familiar with the Ark of the Covenant because of the Harrison Ford movie, “Raiders Of The Lost Ark”.) The Ark was the sacred box that symbolized the presence of Almighty God that was kept in the midst of His people. (In it was “the gold jar with the manna, Aaron’s stick that had sprouted leaves, & the 2 stone tablets with the commandments written on them.) (Hebrews 9:4)

Well, the Philistines ran off with it, which was the final straw. And the Hebrews started realizing, “Maybe the reason that everything is falling apart for us has to do with the fact that we’ve stopped obeying God. We need to get reconnected with Him. We want God’s blessing back in our lives. Who can help us?” So, they call in Samuel … & the 1 st thing he does is pray. “Then Samuel called for all the Israelites to meet at Mizpah, telling them,

‘I will pray to the LORD for you there.’” (1 Samuel 7:5)

“When the Philistines heard that the Israelites had gathered at Mizpah, the 5 Philistine kings started out with their men to attack them. The Israelites heard about it & were afraid, & said to Samuel, ‘Keep on praying to the LORD our God to save us from the Philistines.’ … Samuel prayed to the LORD to help Israel, & the LORD answered his prayer.” (1 Samuel 7:7-9) Do you have a mentor who prays for you? Is there someone in your life who prays for you regularly? Someone who prays for you intensely? Do you have someone to call on who will pray for you? All it requires is your willingness to ask, “Would you pray for me?”

Now the flipside of this is that we not only need to be looking for mentors who will pray for us, we need to be a mentor who will pray for others. Here’s one special thing about Samuel, he was so committed to prayer that he considered it a sin if he didn’t pray for other people. In fact, on one occasion, when the Hebrews had really disobeyed God, they were worried that they had so ticked off Samuel that he would stop praying for them. But Samuel tells them, “The LORD forbid that I should sin against him by no longer praying for you.” (1 Samuel 12:23)

“You guys can’t stop me from praying for you!” #4 … we want someone who knows when to back off.

Samuel was a mentor who knew when to back off if his counsel wasn’t heeded. And ironically, Samuel always offered good counsel. One day the Hebrews came to Samuel with a request. They wanted a king … “everybody else has a king.” (Sounds like a bunch of grade-schoolers, doesn’t it?) Samuel said, “let me give you a couple of good reasons whey you don’t need a king. 1st … God is already your King, & you don’t want to offend God. And 2ndly … a human king is going to do stuff that you’re not going to be happy with. You don’t want a king … trust me.” But the people insisted. “We want a king, so that we will be like other nations, with our own king to rule us.” (1 Samuel 8:19-20)

God said, “Okay Samuel, we’re not going to press the issue.

If they want a king, let’s give them a king.” So, they got Saul … & Saul was a disaster. And it wasn’t long before the people realized that they screwed up. So they go back to Samuel, “Please … pray to the LORD your God for us

… we now realize that, besides all our other sins,

we have sinned by asking for a king.” (1 Samuel 12:19)

Now to Samuel’s credit, he refused to be an “I told you so.” He tells them, “Don’t be afraid … even though you have done such an evil thing, do not turn away from the LORD, but serve him with all your heart.” (1 Samuel 12:20) As I read that I thought to myself … that’s a pretty gracious response from a guy whose counsel had been rejected.

Samuel was a mentor who knew when to back off. #5 … we want a mentor who sees potential.

And we’re finally coming to the point in the story where Samuel meets  David. God is finished with Saul. He’s had enough of his disobedience followed by countless rationalizations.

So, God sends Samuel to a village called Bethlehem where He tells him that he’s going to anoint a new king. But when Samuel arrives in Bethlehem everyone is scared to death, because when a Prophet shows up unannounced it’s usually with a word of judgment. So, everybody is shaking in their sandals … “what have we done wrong?” The whole town is frightened. But Samuel assures them that everything is alright, there’s nothing to be worried about, & he “innocently” invites everyone to a worship celebration, specifically inviting Jesse, who has a lot of sons. In the back of his mind, reading between the lines,

Samuel suspects that God’s chosen one of those boys to be king. The Hebrews’ 1 st king had been a loser … even though back on his inauguration day he actually “looked” impressive. Scripture records that Saul was “a handsome man in the prime of life. Saul was a foot taller than anyone else in Israel & more handsome as well.” (1 Samuel 9:2)

And we still have a tendency to choose leaders because of the way they come across in public, don’t we? But looks can be deceiving. Humanity looks at outward appearances, but God looks at the heart. “Samuel saw Jesse’s son Eliab & said to himself, ‘This man standing here in the LORD’S presence is surely the one he has chosen.’

But the LORD said to him, ‘Pay no attention to how tall & handsome he is. I have rejected him, because I do not judge as people judge. They look at the outward appearance, but I look at the heart.’ “Then Jesse called his son Abinadab & brought him to Samuel. But Samuel said, ‘No, the LORD hasn’t chosen him either.’ Jesse then brought Shammah. ‘No, the LORD hasn’t chosen him either,’ Samuel said. In this way Jesse brough 7 of his sons to Samuel. And Samuel said to him, ‘No, the LORD hasn’t chosen any of these.’ Then he asked him, ‘Do you have any more sons?’

“Jesse answered, ‘There is still the youngest, but he is out taking care of the sheep.’

“‘Tell him to come here,’ Samuel said. ‘We won’t offer the sacrifice until he comes.’ So Jesse sent for him. He was a handsome, healthy young man, & his eyes sparkled. The LORD said to Samuel, ‘This is the one – anoint him!’  Do we have mentors in our lives who are regularly affirming God’s potential in us? Encouragers … “don’t give up, you can do this.” Do we have people who look at us & recognize our talents & gifts, & say, “you need to put those to use for God”?

Do you have anybody who sees what Christ is doing to your character, & affirms the fact that they notice Jesus popping up more & more in you?

This is the joy of mentoring.

It’s so much fun to recognize potential in other people. 2 weeks ago, we were with all of our kids & grandkids. I am blessed with such an incredible family. And I had time to spend with each one individually. And as I did, I got to look them in the eye & tell them of how proud I was of the man/woman they had become.

So, I hope you will take to heart these lessons on what makes a good mentor … that you’ll listen to God, that you’ll be in His Word, that you’ll pray for others, that you’ll say hard things, because it’s not all about affirmation, sometimes it requires admonishment …& then follow up with gracious words of encouragement. We will see the effects of what a good mentor did for David. And this is how it happens in the Body of Christ, as we support one another,

as we encourage one another, as we help one another,

as we mentor one another, as we point each other to Christ,

we all will continue to grow & become everything Jesus has created us to be.

MARANA THA