Taffi Dollar - How to Have Hope When It's Hard - Part 1
This morning I wanna talk about «Hope When It’s Hard». Hope when it’s hard. We’re gonna look at David’s life. We’re gonna look at challenges that he was able to overcome and how he was able to overcome them. You know, as a result of us coming out of this pandemic, it’s so important for us to know what we’re supposed to be doing. You know, we are living in a new normal. We’re living in a new dispensation that we’ve never experienced before, the things that are taking place. So we’ve got to know how to navigate. We’ve gotta know how to move, how to make progress, and I believe that there’s a way to do it. But we have to begin to learn from those under the old covenant, under the Old Testament as the Bible says, and as a result of us learning from them that we can know how to appropriate it in our lives.
And so that’s what the purpose of looking back at some of the patriarchs and matriarchs from times past, because we can look at how they were able to move forward, how they were able to deal with opposition, how they were able to experience victory in spite of the challenges that they dealt with. And so we know that there’s so much hopelessness in the world today. There’s so many things that could cause us to be in a place of negativity, a place of despair, depression. As a result of the pandemic, so many people have gone on to be with the Lord and so many things are different. So many things have changed. But you know what, thank God for him being the same yesterday, today, and forever.
So he is that constant presence in our lives. He is that consistent force that enables us to be able to trust in him because he has not changed. Although the world has changed and things are changing, maybe some of your worlds have changed. Maybe you had loved ones, maybe you had things that were lost as a result of the pandemic. Businesses were lost, some people lost relationships, a lot of marriages ended in divorce, and so there are a lot of things, if we’re cognizant of, that have changed. And so we want to look at how to have hope when it’s hard. How to have hope when it’s hard.
Now, let’s look in 1 Samuel chapter 17, and we’re gonna look at David when he faced a hard situation. Because I believe that many of you are dealing with difficult situations, things that you don’t quite know how to move forward in, but thank God that he provides us with answers. He gives us solutions. He doesn’t leave us stranded, he doesn’t leave us in a place where we’re worse off than where we were before. He enables us to get into a place where we can have strength to move forward, and that’s what this moment is about. That is what this season is about. Knowin' how to move forward when it’s difficult, when it’s hard. When you’ve been in a place for so long, then all of a sudden the rug just got snatched from up under you.
And you say, «God, what is this»? And then begin to allow him to speak into our lives. And so, that’s what David was dealing with because David was a man who had a lot of experiences prior to facing Goliath, and so, you know, Goliath was a big giant. He was a big guy. And so, many times in our lives when we’re dealing with things, these are things that seem bigger than life. Because they’re unfamiliar, things that we’re unaccustomed to, perhaps it may be a new thing, or perhaps it may have been something that’s kinda lingered from generation to generation. How many you know the devil will begin to visit generations to generations to cause that same thing to exist and to be perpetual.
And so in 1 Samuel chapter 17, we’re gonna look at this story here of David and Goliath. One that I know you probably are familiar with and have heard about in times past, Sunday school, one of those Bible lessons where he faced the giant. And we’re going to face some giants in our life if we’re not already facing them right now. And so, verse 12 of 1 Samuel chapter 17, I’m gonna read from the New Living Translation, if you wanna read along with me. Because David had to make the decision based on what was going on with Saul’s advice on whether he was going to do what Saul wanted him to do or what he was going to do based on what was in his heart. And so, there were many who were afraid of Goliath, his older brothers, the armies. They were intimidated.
The Bible talks about how Goliath would strut around, and as a result of him strutting around, that it would put fear in the army and fear in people who saw him. And so, you know, there’s that opportunity to either receive fear and shrink back like so many had done in David’s scenario, or to begin to do what David did. So he says in verse 12, «Now David was the son of a man named Jesse, an Ephrathite from Bethlehem in the land of Judah. Jesse was an old man at that time, and he had», how many sons? «Eight sons. Jesse’s three oldest sons: Eliab, Abinadab, and Shimea, had already joined Saul’s army to fight the Philistines».
Some say Philistines, some say the Philistines, but today we’re just gonna say Philistines. «David was the youngest son. David’s three older brothers stayed with Saul’s army, but David went back and forth so he could help his father with the sheep in Bethlehem. For forty days, every morning and evening, the Philistine champion strutted in front of the Israelite army». How many you know that is the devil? And that’s what the devil will do, will cause you to try to fixate on him and on his plan. Sickness, maybe to cause that sickness to just be right in front of you and strutting back and forth. Or, you know, maybe a broken relationship, estranged situation. The enemy wants to hold that up, to cause it to be magnified in our hearts, to be magnified in our lives, to cause us to become hopeless, and to become obsessed with that very thing.
And so, that’s what Goliath was doing when he was strutting back and forth. How many you know he was trying to get their attention. And the enemy wants your attention this morning. He wants you to think that there is no hope. He wants you to throw in the towel, and he wants you to begin to think that there is no way that you can come out of that situation. So it says, «For forty days, twice a day, morning and evening, the Philistine giant strutted in front of the Israelite army».
So you’ve gotta realize that there is an enemy loose and he wants to cause you to think inferior thoughts and to think that you are inadequate and that God’s word cannot work, and there is no way that anybody can come out of this situation. None of your relatives have been able to come outta this situation, nobody else that you know of, and so as a result, he did this for forty days. Not just one day in the morning. I’m tellin' you morning and evening, you hear me? How many you know there is a strategy that the enemy was tryin' to do at that time?
And so it says here in verse 17, «And one day Jesse said to David, 'Take this basket of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread to your brothers. And give these ten cuts of cheese to their captain. See how your brothers are getting along, and bring me back a letter from them. David’s brothers were with Saul and the Israelite army at the valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines. So David left the sheep with another shepherd and set out early the next morning. He arrived at the outskirts of the camp just as the Israelite army was leaving for the battlefield with shouts and battle cries».
Let’s skip down to, well we’ll just keep goin'. «Soon the Israelite and the Philistine forces stood facing each other, army against army. David,» verse 22, «left his things with the keeper of the supplies and hurried out to the ranks to greet his brothers. And as he was talking with them, he saw Goliath, the champion from Gath, come out from the Philistine ranks, shouting his challenge to the army of Israel». So not only was Goliath walking around, strutting around morning and evening for forty days, he was also shouting at them. He was shouting at the army of Israel. And verse 24 says, «And as soon as the Israelite army saw him, they began to run away in fright».
And that’s exactly what the enemy wants us to do, is to run and hide in fear. And that’s what they did. It says, «As soon as they saw the giant, they began to run away». Why? Because he was so big. Goliath is believed to be around nine feet tall. His helmet alone was like over a hundred feet. I mean, just humongous in terms of the comparison between he and the Israelite army. And so when they saw him, just in the physical, they began to think about how impossible it seemed that they could stand up against this enemy, that they could stand up against this giant. But you know what? David had something else in his mind when he saw Goliath.
And it says in verse 25, «'Have you seen the giant? ' the men were asking. 'He comes out each day to challenge Israel. And have you heard about the huge reward the king has offered to anyone who kills him? The king will give him one of his daughters for a wife, and his whole family will be exempted from paying taxes! ' David,» in verse 26, «talked to some others standing there to verify the report. 'What will a man get for killing this Philistine and putting an end to his abuse of Israel? '» So when you begin to face your challenges and your hardships and difficult situations in your life, you’ve gotta begin to think about bringin' an end to that thing.
'Cause you know what? If you don’t bring an end to it, it’ll just continue on and on and on. It’ll maybe go to your next generation, or it’ll begin to cause an outbreak, or it’ll be worse than what it was. And so David had on his mind how I can end this thing. And he says, «'What will a man get,» he says, «in putting an end to his abuse of Israel? Who is this pagan Philistine anyway, that he is allowed to defy the armies of the living God? '» David had the covenant on his mind. He says, «Who is this? He’s not in covenant. He doesn’t know God».
And so, it says, «David received the same reply as before. 'What you’ve been hearing is true. That is the reward for killing the giant.' But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry». He says, «'What are you doing around here anyway? ' They saw him as the little annoying brother, Eliab, 'David, what are you doing here? Why are you here? What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and dishonesty. You just want to see the battle! '» David says in verse 28, «'What have I done now? ' David replied. 'I was only asking a question! ' He walked over to some of the others and asked them the same thing and received the same answer. Then David’s question was reported to King Saul, and the king sent for him».
Look here in verse 32. It says, «'Don’t worry about a thing, ' David told Saul. 'I’ll go fight this Philistine.'» Think about that. All the older brothers, the eldest ones, the most experienced, the ones who were trained, the ones who had the knowledge, the equipment, the weapons to use, the artillery, just all the things that had been prepared, but it was David who chose to deal with the giant. And so, there are things in these last days that God’s gonna choose you to deal with that perhaps other people ran and hid from. Thank God for his wisdom. Thank God for his grace. Thank God for his anointing. Thank God for his power, because I’m tellin' you, we’re coming into a time where it’s gonna require the supernatural assistance and the supernatural aid. God’s intervening and beginning to show to covenant people his ability in the situations in life.
And so, it was David who made up in his mind when he told Saul, he says, «I’ll go. I will go». He didn’t run. He wasn’t afraid. He says, «I’ll go». And then look at verse 33. He says, «'Don’t be ridiculous! ' Saul replied. 'There’s no way you can go against this Philistine, David! '» He thought that David was ridiculous, but you know what? David had experienced God’s victory in his private battles, so it gave him confidence in his public battles. And so that’s why it’s so much more than just, you know, playing church and doing church. This is about going home, being at home where you know how to win and you know what to do in your personal battles. Because people will try and talk you out of standing against opposition. Because they’ve not stood against opposition, they don’t want you to stand either.
As far as they know, it’s never been done. That’s just how it is. That’s just what happened. But how many you know God has the final say-so. Factor God in the situations in your life. Welcome him in. Invite him in. Allow him in. Let him intervene, and not base the decisions in our life based on what someone else said. Because they thought that what he chose to do was ridiculous when he said, «I’ll go». «David, you don’t know what you’re doin'. You’ve been out there. You’re just here to be nosey. You’re here to just watch. You’re not knowing anything about what it takes». And he says, «I’ll go». And he says, «There’s no way you can go against this Philistine. You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a boy».
Even his youth was being addressed and attacked there because of his age, and people will base and surmise your ability and your victory on the age. And how many you know God’s not looking at any of those things. God called a king who was ten years old. I better not get into that. God will use a donkey. God will use a jackass. God will use whatever he wants to use. He’s not limited by age. It says in verse 34, «But David persisted. 'I’ve been taking care of my father’s sheep.'» He says, «'I’ve been taking care of my father’s sheep.'» He was a shepherd boy. «'When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it.'» That meant he wasn’t afraid to go after a bear or to go after a lion. That’s somethin'. That speaks volumes right there. Because they knew they weren’t willin' to go after a lion or a bear and deal with those situations, but David was.
And so he says, «'When a, a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and take the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death.'» So as far as he was concerned, this nine-foot overgrown individual does not intimidate me, because you know what? If I can deal with a bear and I can deal with a lion, I’m good. He says, «'I’ve done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who saved me from the claws…'»
My goodness. In his private time, he had a revelation. He had a flashback of what God did for him out in the shepherd and in the field. He thought about that. He says, «'The Lord who saved me from the claws of the lion and saved me from the bear, he’ll save me from this Philistine.'» David saw victory in his private life. He began to get before God and spend time with God, and know his covenant with God. He reminded himself of what God had done. And then as a result, it caused him to have courage to face the hardship, to face the difficult giant, to face what seemed to be intimidating. And so he says, «He’ll save me». He’ll save me! You gotta make up in your mind, God will save me! God will deliver me. God will heal me.