1 Samuel 17:1-50 Welcome to the January 2018 Thanksgiving Service. It is our year of Songs of Victory. Victory signifies a military conquest and is ultimately something that comes from the Lord and it is the Lord who carries on the fight. David's defeat of Goliath was in fact the Lord's victory wrought for all Israel. ( 1 Sam 19:5 ) The story of David and Goliath is set as a framework of bold faith in an arena of threat, fear and defiance. God is with you in difficult situations and we should rely on God because God is more powerful than anything you will face in this world. He gives us hope even when everything seems hopeless and works in ways we do not expect and through people we do not expect. Goliath’s height and impenetrable armor is terrifying and appears undefeatable. The Israelites were filled with fear and that leads to a forty-day standoff against a single Philistine warrior. When Goliath stands between the armies to taunt Israel and their God, only David was wearing the faith that brings the world into proper focus. The army of Israel has been subjected to Goliath’s taunting for forty straight days and they have gazed up and down their battle line hoping to see a man of valor step forward to silence the giant’s threats. David understands that this challenge is against God as well as Israel and that the soldiers’ and Saul’s fear represents a lack of faith in God’s ability to deliver them. David delivers a speech naming the living GOD – as his source of strength, courage, confidence and power. He explains that his victory over Goliath will glorify the God of Israel to all the world and will show that “deliverance does not come through trust in human might” but from God alone and that with God both he and Israel can do great things. God used David’s faith to save Israel from the enemy – Goliath and to demonstrate to all the earth “that there is a God in Israel” (v. 46). God and God alone saves people from the enemies in this world and their sinful nature. Beloved, after David had killed Goliath, the women came out from all the towns of Israel singing and dancing with joyful songs with tambourines and lutes and sang "Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands". What a SONG OF VICTORY!

PRAYER POINT. Almighty God, let us know that You are our strength and our power and be reminded of the victory you won over Satan.