"Then Saul said to David, ‘You are not able to go against this Philistine. . .for you are but a youth’. . .But David said, ‘When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and rescued it from his mouth. . .Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, since he has taunted the armies of the living God." 1 Samuel 17:33-36

This young shepherd boy was confident in the Lord and trusted that as God had delivered to him the lion and the bear he would also give him victory over Goliath, the Philistine giant. But David’s faith in God did not begin with killing two enemies of his father’s flock - he already had enough faith to chase them down, rescue the sheep and slay them by that time.

From a very early age, David nurtured fellowship with his God and meditated on all of His marvelous ways. Night after night he observed the wonder of the heavens and knew that God had a special plan for man - "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained; What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him? Yet You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet." (Ps.8)

 David understood that of all God’s creatures, man alone had been ordained to rule over them. Perhaps this is the reason that he had such confidence in attacking those wild animals.

David also understood that of all the nations He had chosen Israel to be His own possession. The Lord declared to Israel, -"You alone have I known among the nations."As God had ordained man to have a special place in His creation, David knew that Israel was ordained by God and favored among the nations. It was to Israel alone that God delivered His righteous Laws, Commandments and Statutes, and He promised to protect them from their enemies as long as they walked obediently before Him.

God says of David, -"He is a man after My own heart." David greatly loved the Lord and the Lord greatly loved David. David had great faith that he would defeat the giant warrior because he had taunted the holy army of the Lord. David was certain that God would defend His own honor and he was confident that he was the instrument for the task.

The rest is history. The Philistine giant was slain with a single rock and the enemies of the Lord fled in terror. The Lord’s honor was restored and David was highly esteemed on earth and in heaven.