Not-So-Quiet-Time: 1 Samuel 17-18

At-Home Bible Guide for the Week of 8/9

Day 1: 1 Samuel 17:1-27
David experienced a great deal of change in this one day. He started out by leaving his sheep with a keeper. Then he brought food to the battlefield and ran to meet his brothers. There, he heard Goliath. It is worth noting that David heard Goliath’s evil words and focused on that. He was not focused on Goliath’s scary size like everyone else. Israel’s army thought, “Wow, this guy is big!” But David thought, who is this man “that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (26). Do you trust that God is bigger than any enemy? Do you care about his glory and his name like David did? Pray that God would give you faith in his power and zeal for his name.

Day 2: 1 Samuel 17:28-39
David’s first obstacle in facing Goliath was actually his own brother. Sometimes challenges and barriers come from within. His next barrier was Saul telling him that he was “not able” to fight his enemy. Sometimes our barriers come from above. But God had been preparing David for this day. David said, “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” (37). Ask God to help you trust Him in the face of barriers in your own life.

Day 3: 1 Samuel 17:40-58
Goliath was imposing and his words were menacing, but David knew something crucial. And he shared it with 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” (45). This battle would be won by God’s power. Praise the Lord because He always wins.

Day 4: 1 Samuel 18:1-16
David had succeeded by faith where Saul had cowering in fear. But David did not let this lead to pride. He continued to serve Saul faithfully: “David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him” (5). David was succeeding for Saul, but Saul was still jealous. Twice Saul attempted to kill David (11). Why? “Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul” (12). In David, Saul was reminded of his own failures and the consequences of his sins. In the face of all this, David—who had been anointed king by Samuel—continued to humbly serve. Ask God to make you humble like David.

Day 5: 1 Samuel 18:17-30
David was Saul’s most faithful servant. But Saul was always plotting to try to get David killed. This didn’t work because God’s plans would not bend to Saul’s plans. So David continued to succeed in all he did. Instead of coming to love and respect David for his faith and humility, “Saul saw and knew that the Lord was with David, and… Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually” (28-29). David’s faithfulness did not make him immune to troubles. However, faithfulness was worth it. Pray that God would help you to see that faithful obedience is always worth it.

Catechism Connection: 5
Life is full of problems. Enemies like Goliath and Saul, Satan and sin are all around. But God is here too. And He is the “only one… living and true God” (WSC 5). He has no rivals. He cannot be defeated. And He is for us.

Monthly Memory: John 3:3
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”