Holy Boldness

Holy Boldness
Words of Faith 10-24-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 17:41-47
[41] Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield-bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David. [42] He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him. [43] He said to David, "Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. [44] "Come here," he said, "and I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!" [45] David said to the Philistine, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. [46] This day, the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today, I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. [47] All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give all of you into our hands."

If we were tempted to sympathize with this poor misguided giant named Goliath, listen to his words carefully. More than just a taunting bully from a misunderstood home, Goliath was a vile and violent man spewing curses and obscenity. He delighted in wretched violence. His boasts were enough to keep even brave warriors at a distance.
Not David. David was not the least bit cocky, but he was confident. Was he confident because of his own might or prowess? Not in the least. His confidence was in the name of the Lord Almighty.
You see, David knew that there was a Name above every name. There is a power that is beyond all earthly or human power. There is a strength that resists the most powerful of earthly weapons. There is a force that can melt bronze and bend a javelin. There is a power that makes the earth shake. His confidence was in the Lord. Though he did not know exactly how the battle would come down, he knew that this "giant" was puny and his weapons were toys in the sight of the Lord.
So, David made a prediction regarding the outcome of the day. Simplified, he said this-- Today, the Lord is going to take you out, and I am going to cut off your head. Then I will feed your army to the birds and beasts. The whole world is about to know that there is a real God in Israel and that it is not the sword or spear that saves you, but only the Lord. This battle belongs to the Lord. You had better get ready because He is about to give you into our hands.
Some might have accused David of being overly confident but this was not the case. This was a simple statement of fact. He did not warn Goliath or give him "one last chance." He was not posturing or trying to intimidate. He stated the facts simply and directly in the face of brutal arrogance. This was actually the judgment of the Lord that was coming against the Goliath and the army of the Philistines. David was speaking prophetically.
David was also speaking in faith. While we want to be wary of the notion that speaking in faith allows us to conjure anything we want with our words, we don't want to miss that David boldly spoke aloud the vision God had given him concerning this conflict. He did not poor-mouth or soft pedal. He did not talk about what he hoped would happen. David looked the enemy, Goliath, in the eye and then declared by faith the glorious victory of God.
Sometimes in life, we will have to face down a giant. There is no way around it. There is no other way about it. We must come to those situations humbled before God but bold against the enemies of God. We must come to those situations knowing that what we say may play a large part in the outcome. So we must speak by faith the assurance of the things hoped for and the conviction regarding things not seen. We must sometimes speak prophetically. But most of all, we cannot back down from the enemies of God.

Father God, give me a holy boldness. Give me the courage to look the enemies of God in the eye and speak in the power of Your Name. Give me the courage to stand in Your strength and declare the victorious glory of the Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.