Adam, Eve, Abel, Abraham, Hannah, and many other people of Israel waited patiently for the Savior to be born. They loved God and trusted him. What does it mean to trust? Children trust parents to take care of them because of their love for them. But we trust God even more. He is stronger and wiser than anyone.
In the story of David and Goliath, we see how God helps and blesses those who trust in him. Our story tells us about two people, one who trusts in God, and one who did not.
The people of Israel were at war with the people called the Philistines. The Philistines had a giant soldier called Goliath. One day the two armies were camping across from each other. Goliath came out of the camp of the Philistines and shouted, "Send an Israelite to fight me. If he wins, our soldiers will be your slaves. If I win, your soldiers will be our slaves."
All of the Israelites were afraid of Goliath. With his long sword and heavy shield, they were sure he would win. Goliath thought so, too. He trusted in his great size and powerful weapons.
A young shepherd boy named David came with a bag of food for his brothers who were serving in the Israelite army. When he heard about Goliath, David said, "I will fight the giant."
Everyone said, "Not you! You are too young. You are too small. You don't even have a suit of armor."
David said, "God has helped me to kill a bear and a lion that tried to eat my sheep. God will help me fight this giant, too."
When Saul, the King of Israel, heard this, he said, "Go then, and God be with you."
David took his slingshot, found five smooth stones, and went to fight the giant.
When Goliath saw David coming, he became angry. He thought David was making fun of him, being so small and not having a sword or shield. Goliath said, "Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?"David answered, "You come to me with a sword and spear to help you, but I come in the name of the Lord."
Then David put a stone in his sling, ran toward Goliath and let a stone fly. The stone hit Goliath right in the forehead, and he fell down. David took the giant's sword, killed him, and cut off his head.
Bible Words to Learn and Treasure
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart." - Proverbs 3:5
Prayer to Say
Dear God, your strong hand is like a mighty shield that keeps us safe and sure. Give us faith that we will always believe this. Help us to trust in you for everything we need. May we always look to you for everything we need. Help us especially to trust in Jesus as our Savior from our sins and who will someday take us to heaven to be with him. Amen.
Things to Do
- Draw, color, and cut out a shield, sword , and spear out of an old cardboard box. Use heavy cord with wadded paper for stones and a paper bag for the food that David delivered to his brothers. Have a brother or sister help you tell the story to your mother and father by "acting it out" for them. Invite your neighbors and friends to see your performance.
Crossword Puzzle
- Select a question
- Choose the correct answer
- Press the "Enter Guess" button
- Read the story if you need a clue.
- Use the "Oops" button if the crossword puzzle displays an error message or looks strange
- Read the Bible study of David and Goliath for your family devotion. Help your family answer the questions. Ask God to give everyone a stronger faith in Jesus.
- Write the memory treasure from Proverbs ("Trust in the Lord with all your heart." - Proverbs 3:5) on a piece of paper and post it on your refrigerator as a reminder of God's ever-present help. Memorize the passage and where it is found in the Bible.