We all know how the story of David and Goliath ended, but do we remember how it started?

1 Samuel 17 says that God’s people drew up battle lines against the Philistines in the Valley of Elah (verse 2). However, instead of fighting one another, the Philistines sent out a giant of a man – a man that was more than nine feet tall – a man named Goliath – and he challenged the people of God with these words: “Choose a man and have him come down to me. If he is able to fight and kill me, we will become your subjects; but if I overcome him and kill him, you will become our subjects and serve us.” Not surprisingly, no one wanted to fight him.

For 40 days, every morning and every evening, Goliath went out on the battlefield, and every morning and every evening the people of God became more and more “dismayed and terrified” (verse 11). That is until a young man name David showed up.

When he arrived in the camp, he heard the challenge that Goliath issued and then waited for someone to go out and fight him. When no one went, David said, “Let no one lose heart… I will go and fight him” (verse 32).

Now, why would David fight Goliath when no one else would? Why would a young man go when the trained soldiers were too scared to try?

Well, David was listening to a different voice.

The soldiers were listening to Goliath and they were scared. David was listening to God and was brave.

We always have a choice: we can listen to “faith” or we can listen to “fear.” One will give us courage to face anything and the other will make us weak and scared.

Which voice are you listening to?