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TEXT: I Samuel 17:1
DAVID, the shepherd boy, went down the dusty road. He had a bundle of dried corn, bread and cheese. His father had sent him to see his three big brothers who were in the army of Israel.
After a while David got to the camp where his brothers were. All of a sudden he heard a mean, terribly loud voice coming across a little low place in the land. The voice sounded a little like thunder. Who could be making such a noise as that?
David looked down into the low place called a valley. What did he see? He saw a great, great, big, big, big man, bigger than any man he had ever seen. Bigger than any man you ever saw either. He was a giant!
There that old giant walked up and down, and up and down making fun of God’s people in that army. He yelled as loud as he could, asking for someone to come and fight him. He belonged to the army that did not like God. They wanted to hurt God’s people.
All the soldier men were afraid of that giant. His name was Goliath. He was so big no one wanted to go down there and make him stop making fun of God’s army.
David looked at that giant Goliath. He did not like to hear him talking against God. David was just a boy, not big like his brothers, but he was not one little bit afraid of that giant. Not at all.
David was going to go down there and make him stop talking about God’s army like that. He knew that God would help him. Why should he be afraid? God is stronger than anybody.
God had helped David before. Once when David was taking care of his father’s sheep a lion and a bear had come. David caught that big lion by its beard. God had helped David kill the lion and the bear. God would help him get rid of the giant, too.
David knew He would.
David’s brothers were mad at David for coming to their army. They did not want David to fight with the giant. It made them feel ashamed, probably, because they were afraid.
Someone told the king about David. The king told them to go and get David. King Saul said that David was not strong enough to get near the giant. He would be hurt if he went down to fight Goliath. David told the king he knew he was not strong enough by himself, but God was going to help him. God can do what no one else can do. David wanted to fight the giant and make him stop talking against God.
Away went David. He took the long sick he used when he walked on the mountains with the sheep. It is called a staff.
David took five smooth rocks from the little brook. A brook is some water that bubbles along. He put the rocks into a little bag he had. He had a thing in his hand to put the rocks in. It was a sling. David knew how to put rocks in the sling, whirl it around over his head, let loose and out would come the rocks fast. They would hit whatever David wanted them to hit.
Down went David to fight that giant. My, but Goliath was mad when he saw just a boy. He was so mad! He said that he would feed David to the birds. “Am I a dog?” David had come to fight with a stick and little rocks like you would fight off a dog.
David stood up tall. “I come to thee in the name of the LORD,” said David. He ran right at the giant Goliath. He whirled his sling around his head. Zing! A little stone whizzed through the air. It hit the giant right on the front of his head.
Bump! Down went that bragging, mean giant. He fell down dead! He fell flat on his face. God made the rock go so hard and to the right place to get rid of Goliath. When the men with Goliath saw what David had done they were afraid. They ran away and let God’s people alone.
David was so sure that God would help him. God did! He will help you too. If you see something that makes you afraid, just ask God to help you like he did David. He will.
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