Day 2 – Great Faith is Focused on God

1 Samuel 17:45-47

David replied to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

Having big faith doesn’t come from how much bible knowledge we have or the amount of time we have been a Christian. I believe having great faith means putting your trust in God no matter how big or how small life’s problems may be. Putting your trust in God is made much easier when we fix our eyes on Him and stay focused on His goodness and His faithfulness amidst life’s craziness.

1 Samuel 17 is a conversation between David and Goliath. Goliath is a colossal figure that stands in front of David, however instead of focusing on Goliath or how big his sword and spear is, David chooses to focus on the God he serves. He acknowledges the power of God, he declares that God has already given him the victory and he points all glory to his Father in Heaven. David says ‘I come to you in the name of the Lord of Heavens Armies’. He tells Goliath that ‘the Lord will conquer you’. He declares that ‘everyone assembled here will know that the Lord rescues his people’. The only focus David puts on Goliath is that he is going to kill him and cut off his head. I think for a young boy, that shows a great amount of faith and confidence.

In my own life when I have faced hardship or a tricky situation, it is so easy to take my eyes off Jesus and to place focus on feelings, the decisions we must make or the people around us. Yet, part of developing great faith is learning to put all things aside and to fix our eyes on God who is all powerful and loves us unconditionally.

Family Discussion Questions

1. What are some ways that we can intentionally fix our eyes on God in times of hardship or trouble?

2. A great way to stir our faith and grow our confidence in God is to read the promises he has made over us in his Word. What are some promises we can find in the bible that God has spoken over us?

Response – Prayer

Lord, I thank you that you have given me faith. Help me to increase my faith and focus on you. Give me a faith that is not dependent on circumstances, but a faith that focuses on your promises. Amen.