“Moreover David said, “The Lord, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”” I Samuel 17:37

The story of David and Goliath is one of the best known in the Bible. Have you heard it? David is a “youth”, probably a teenager, who takes care of his father’s sheep. His father sends him to take supplies to his older brothers who are in the army of King Saul of Israel. They are fighting the Philistines. One of the Philistines is a giant whose name is Goliath. Goliath walks out to stand between the two camps and taunts the soldiers. He challenges any one of the Israelite soldiers to come and fight with him. The winner will win the war for his side. Of course Goliath is so big that no one wants to come out alone and fight him!

But when David hears the teasing and Goliath making fun of the soldiers, he is upset. He says he will fight Goliath, but the soldiers laugh at him. David is just a boy. Saul hears about David and talks to him. David tells King Saul that the Lord is on their side. The same God who helped David save his sheep from a lion and a bear will save them from the Philistines. God is with them and will fight for them.

Saul loads David up with armor and a shield and a sword like the soldiers use, but it is too heavy and clunky. David can hardly walk. So he takes it all off, he picks up his shepherd’s staff and chooses 5 small round stones for his sling and walks toward Goliath. Goliath laughs at David because he is not even a soldier. Goliath is sure he will win. But David tells Goliath that though he brings his sword and shield and spear, David comes to the fight in the name of the Lord God of Israel!

And can you guess who wins the fight? That’s right, David wins. He uses a stone thrown from his sling and knocks Goliath down before the giant can even get close to him. David, with God on his side, has won the war for the army of Israel.

This story lets us know that God is with us. Whatever “battle” we might face, whatever “Goliath” comes our way, God is with us. And like God did with David, He will give us the strength and wisdom to know how to handle it. We know that God is always with us, whether we feel Him or not. He protects us and guides us and plans good things for us.

Bullying

Goliath was a bully! He was bigger than everyone else and thought that he could scare others into doing what he wanted. You may have to deal with your own “Goliath” one day, a bully. But know that you don’t have to deal with your “Goliath” on your own either. It is never your fault or something you did that causes a bully to act the way they do. A bully may have problems of his own that cause him to bully others. There are things you can do:

1. Tell an adult, your parents, a teacher, a bus driver, the principal, the school counselor. Tell them the details of the problem and they can help you think about different ways to handle the bully. They can even help you practice what to say or how you should to react to your bully.
2. Get a friend to walk with you so that you are not alone. Bullies tend to approach you when you are by yourself. But don’t forget to be your friend’s buddy if he is being bullied.
3. Try to avoid the bully or places you would see him.
4. Don’t keep quiet, talk about it with adults, other kids, let people know what’s happening.
5. And of course, you can always talk to God about your bully. God can make you feel stronger and more confident. Remember, God wants good things for you!

This week draw a picture of the David and Goliath Bible story. Share it with your parents and talk about how Goliath was a bully. Have a talk with your parents about bullies.

Afterwards ask your parents to share your picture by email or Facebook messenger so that everyone can see the story of David and Goliath and learn how God is with us.