In Chicago last month, I spent a lot of time with little Emory, my granddaughter. Every morning, before breakfast, she would climb onto my lap, point to my iPad, and insist, “Goliath!” That was her favourite video, the story of David and Goliath. And so, every day, there we were, the two of us, watching the tiny shepherd boy with a sling, a pouch of stones, and a mountain of faith take on the giant who made whole armies tremble.
But what amused us most was not Goliath’s mighty fall. It was watching David face his little Goliaths before the big one arrived. His bullying brothers mocked him, pushed him around, and made the sheep tumble down just to irritate him. “Pick them up, shepherd boy!” they would sneer. Emory giggled every time they did that, not realising that behind that laughter lay a lesson I wish we all remembered.
Before David could face the giant on the battlefield, he faced his training battles in the fields. When a lion came to grab a lamb, he did not run away. When a bear growled, he did not hide behind a rock. He faced them head-on. His courage was not born in front of the army of Israel. It was built in the lonely pastures where nobody clapped, nobody saw, and nobody applauded.
That is how God trains His warriors, quietly and patiently, through small everyday skirmishes. Through the snide colleague who takes credit for your work. Through the rude customer who tests your patience. Through the bills that arrive before your salary does. Through the daily dose of irritation that makes you want to give up. Those, my friend, are your little Goliaths.
As I watched Emory’s wide eyes follow the little shepherd boy’s sling, I could not help thinking how many of us want to skip the smaller fights. We pray for strength to face the big challenges but sigh at the small inconveniences. We want our grand victory without God’s quiet training. But He knows that before you can bring down the mighty Goliath in your life, the one that seems impossible, you must first learn to trust Him with the smaller ones.
When I look back, I see how every small obstacle, every minor rejection, every seemingly meaningless hardship, was shaping my arm and steadying my aim. God was building my muscle and my faith, just as He did with David. And one day, when your big Goliath stands before you, towering and terrifying, you will realise that you have already fought him in smaller forms many times before.
So, if you are facing such trials today, do not complain. Train. They are your practice rounds for the day you will sling your stone and watch your Goliath fall.
And as for my little Emory, for now she can keep laughing as the giant drops. Someday, when her own Goliaths appear, I pray she remembers how she laughed about the bullying brothers and that her everyday worries and battles, build her to become a strong, victorious Davidy woman..!
The Author conducts an online, eight session Writers and Speakers Course. If you’d like to join, do send a thumbs-up to WhatsApp number 9892572883 or send a message to bobsbanter@gmail.com
