When David arrives, Goliath has been taunting the king and army of Israel for forty days. David wonders why no one has taken on his challenge and asks the men around him, “For who is this … that he should taunt the armies of the living God” (1 Sam. 17:26). David then asks, “Is there not a cause?” (17:29). In other words, “Shouldn’t someone do something?”
Because David recognized that something needed to be done, was willing to ask the question and had enough faith in God to stand up against the enemy, Israel realized a seemingly impossible victory that day. By the end of the chapter, Goliath is killed, and the Philistines are defeated. After forty days of fear, one young man’s faithful obedience to God has changed everything.
David’s simple question, “Is there not a cause?” should remind us to consider how faithful and powerful God is. When our enemy taunts us, there is a reason to lean on God. When we feel defeated, there is a reason to turn back to God. When we are discouraged and cannot even imagine a victory, there is still a reason to trust completely in God.
Matt Langfield