ICS Daily Devotions
Overcome Intimidation by People
1 Samuel 17:28, 44 (NKJV) Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab’s anger was aroused against David, and he said, “Why did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.” ….And the Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!”
David was old enough to deliver food to his brothers, but not old enough to join the army; the Bible says that he was young and ruddy in looks. While his brother Eliab was angry with him and thought he was conceited to even talk about facing Goliath, Goliath intimidated him, intending to feed his flesh to the birds and the beasts. Poor David! How discouraging to have been told off by his brother and threatened by Goliath!
Words are powerful; Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV) says that “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” The saying “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” can’t be further from the truth. Sticks and stones will indeed break your bones, but words can also break your heart, ruin your life, and hurt others.
We have all heard how unkind and irresponsible comments on social media have negatively impacted the mental health and wellbeing of teenagers, leading to escalating incidents of depression and even suicide. Some of the factors contributing to suicide include pressure to perform well academically from schools or parents, cyber, verbal, or physical bullying or intimidation from peers, stress stemming from relocating from one country to another, and tension from living in a broken home or with parents undergoing an impending divorce.
How people think of us or look at us can be a “Goliath” in the lives of not just young people, but adults as well. If we want to be an overcomer, we will need a paradigm shift. Instead of being intimidated by what others say about us or to us, we should focus on how God looks at us, His faithfulness and the gifts and abilities which He has given us. The Bible says in Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”.
David could have been discouraged by the words of his brother and Goliath if he wasn’t confident in God. Words can either induce fear or faith, and encourage or discourage a person. But let’s be like David and not allow words of discouragement or intimidation to affect us, instead, let’s choose to meditate on what God says about us.
Sermon Series: Trailblazer
