"Teach Me to Do Your Will" - DAVID RESPECTED JEHOVAH'S NAME

When David was young, he went to fight against the Philistine Goliath.  Why did David think that he could fight against a giant who was about 2.9 meters (9.5 ft ) tall and who had powerful weapons? (1 Samuel 17:4)  Was it simply because David was courageous?  Or was it because he had faith God?  Both courage and faith were important, but the main reason that David fought Goliath was that David respected Jehovah's name.  David was angry that Goliath spoke disrespectfully of God's people. David said: "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he has to taunt the battle lines of the living God?" - 1 SAMUEL 17:26.

Young David said to Goliath:  "You are coming to me with a sword and with a spear  and with a javelin, but I am coming to you with the name of Jehovah of armies, the God of the battle lines of Israel, whom you have taunted." (1 Samuel 17:45) David relied on the true God to help him.  He killed Goliath by throwing one stone with his sling.  Throughout the rest of his life, David trusted in Jehovah and respected his holy name.  And David told his fellow Israelites to "boast in Jehovah's name. - Read 1 CHRONICLES 16:8-10.

Are you proud to have Jehovah as your God?  (Jeremiah 9:24) What do you do when your neighbors,workmates, classmates, or relatives speak disrespectfully of Jehovah or make fun of his Witnesses?   When people show disrespect for God as Goliath did, do you speak up to defend Jehovah's name and do you trust that he will help you?  It is true that sometimes we should  "keep quiet," but we should  not be ashamed  to be Jehovah's Witnesses and followers of Jesus. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7; Mark 8:38)  We should be tactful and polite when we are talking to people who  do not respect Jehovah or his message.  But we should not be like  those Israelites who "became terrified and were greatly afraid" when they heard  what Goliath was saying.  (1 Samuel 17:11) Instead, we should  quickly speak up to defend Jehovah's holy name.  We want to help people to know what kind of God Jehovah really is.  For this reason, we use the Bible to help people see why they should want to know God. - JAMES 4:8.

We learn another lesson from the story of David and Goliath.  When David came running to the battle line, he asked: "What  will be done to the  man that strikes down the Philistine over there and actually turn away reproach from upon Israel?"  In reply, the people said about the one who would Goliath?   "The king will enrich him with great riches, and his own daughter he will give to him." 
(1 Samuel 17:25-27) But David did not simply want a reward.  There was something that was more important to him.  He wanted to honor the true God.  (Read 1 Samuel 17:46, 47)  What is more important to us?  Are we interested only in our own name, or reputation? Do we think only of getting a lot of money and becoming important in the world?  Surely we want to be like David, who sang: "O magnify  Jehovah with me, you people, and let us exalt his name together." ( Psalm 34:3) We should trust in God and be more interested in God's name, or reputation, than in our own. - MATTHEW 6:9. 

Young David needed strong faith and confidence in Jehovah so that he could have the courage  to fight against Goliath.  As a shepherd, David had learned to rely on Jehovah each day.  This gave him the faith he needed. (1 Samuel 17:34 - 37)  We too need strong faith so that we can continue  in the ministry, especially when people do not want   to listen to our message.  We can build our  faith by  relying on God  in everything we do each day. For example, we can try to start a conversation  about the Bible with people  who sit next to us when we are riding on public transportation.  And we should also talk to the people  we meet on the street  when we are preaching from house to house. - ACTS 20:20, 21.

Next time: "Teach Me to Do Your Will" - GOD'S WILL WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DAVID

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