Life in the Making—What Am I Afraid Of?

David’s life unfolds one decision, one challenge, one failure, and one victory at a time. David’s story pushes the question beyond a Sunday school version of Goliath: What am I afraid of? The Valley of Elah holds a real giant, real stakes, and an Israelite army that has let fear tell them how the story will end.

Fear looks at Goliath and says, “He’s too big. He’s too strong. There’s no way.” Fear turns what could happen into what will happen, then starts making decisions based on a future that has not even happened yet. Fear tells a struggling marriage that it will implode, a concerning doctor’s test that it must be the worst, and financial pressure that disaster is already on the way.

David sees the same giant, hears the same taunts, and does not pretend the problem is small. Faith does not put its head in the sand or call genuinely scary things no big deal. David simply refuses to let what he sees determine what he believes, because God is involved in the story too. Psalm 56 gives language for that choice: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” Fear may show up, but fear does not get to call the shots.

David’s confidence grows out of remembrance. The lion and the bear become evidence that the Lord who rescued him before can rescue him again. Spiritual amnesia forgets answered prayers, hard seasons survived, strength given in weakness, doors opened or closed, and people brought at just the right time. God’s faithfulness in the past does not guarantee an easy ending, but it gives real reason to trust Him in a present battle.

David also refuses Saul’s armor because Saul’s armor is not David’s armor. God has trained David in the fields with a sling, not in a king’s battlefield gear. Wise counsel matters, but somebody else’s advice still has to be filtered through God’s direction. The tools already in hand, prayer, Scripture, wise people, counseling, hard-won experience, may be the very training God has been building for this season.

David runs toward Goliath because faith eventually has to move. God does not promise that nothing difficult will happen; God promises, “I am with you.” The next step may be a phone call, a hard look at finances, a doctor’s appointment, or the words, “I need help.” God’s presence gives courage to move forward even while fear is still real.

##

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Fear cannot write the ending Fear loves to speak in certainty about disasters that have not happened. Fear can turn a possibility into a verdict and quietly begin directing a person’s choices. David’s example calls fear out for what it is: a loud voice, but not the voice that gets the final word. [28:24]
• 2. Faith sees God in the battle Faith does not deny that giants are big, painful, or scary. Faith remembers that Goliath is not the only actor standing in the valley. God’s presence changes the meaning of the battle, even when the circumstances have not changed at all. [30:34]
• 3. Remember the lions and bears God’s past faithfulness becomes evidence for present trust. Hard seasons can look very different in hindsight when they reveal how God carried, provided, strengthened, and sustained. A remembered rescue can keep fear from erasing the whole history of God’s care. [33:44]
• 4. Use the tools God gave Saul’s armor made sense, but it was not how God had prepared David. God often uses prayer, Scripture, wise relationships, counseling, and lessons learned through hard experience as a person’s sling and stones. The thing that feels ordinary may be the very tool God has been training for years. [39:55]
• 5. Faith moves while still afraid Courage is not waiting until fear disappears. David runs toward the giant because he knows who goes with him and before him. God’s promise is not that difficult things will never come, but that He will strengthen and help His people in the middle of them.
  
  ## [42:13]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [20:57] - Life in the Making
• [21:54] - Faithful With What Is Now
• [23:50] - What Are You Afraid Of?
• [25:22] - Goliath and the Valley of Elah
• [27:59] - Do Not Let Fear Call the Shots
• [29:49] - Faith Does Not Deny Reality
• [31:38] - David Remembers the Lion and Bear
• [35:36] - Saul’s Armor Is Not David’s Armor
• [40:51] - Confidence in the Lord
• [42:13] - Faith Has to Move
• [44:36] - Name Your Lions and Bears
• [46:56] - Prayer for Present Battles

Bible Reading

1 Samuel 17:34-37
“But David said to Saul, 'Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.' And David said, 'The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.' And Saul said to David, 'Go, and the LORD be with you!” [32:23]

Psalm 56:3
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” [31:10]

Isaiah 41:10
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” [43:58]

Observation questions

1. In 1 Samuel 17:34–37, what past experiences does David describe to Saul, and whom does David credit for his rescue? [32:46]
2. According to Psalm 56:3, what does David choose to do when fear is present? What does that wording show about whether faithful people ever feel afraid? [31:10]
3. What differences are described between Saul’s armor and the sling David chooses to carry into the battle? [36:47]
4. In Isaiah 41:10, what does God promise to do for His people when they are afraid or discouraged? [43:58]

Interpretation questions

1. David does not deny that Goliath is dangerous, yet he reaches a different conclusion than Israel’s army. What changes when a person sees God as present in the battle instead of looking only at the size of the problem? [30:34]
2. Fear often turns a possible hardship into a certain disaster. How can that kind of thinking shape a person’s choices in a marriage struggle, medical concern, or financial pressure? [29:29]
3. David’s memories of the lion and bear do not guarantee that every future situation will be easy. How do those memories still give him a solid reason to trust God with Goliath? [33:44]
4. Saul’s armor was reasonable advice, but it was not the way David had been prepared. How can someone receive wise counsel without simply copying another person’s path? [39:09]

Application questions

1. What “giant” is most likely to make fear speak loudly in your life right now? What future outcome has fear been treating as if it is already certain? [28:45]
2. Psalm 56:3 gives a simple response: when fear comes, trust is placed in God. What might it look like for you to name your fear honestly before God rather than pretending it is not there? [31:10]
3. Take a few minutes to name some “lions and bears”—specific times God carried you, provided for you, gave strength, answered prayer, closed a door, or brought someone alongside you. Which memory do you most need to remember in your present battle? [46:13]
4. What tools may God have already placed in your hands for this season—prayer, Scripture, a trusted friend, counseling, practical skills, or lessons learned through a past hardship? Which one could you use this week? [40:28]
5. Is there a piece of advice or a comparison with someone else that feels like “Saul’s armor” to you? How can you seek God’s direction while still valuing the wise people He has placed around you? [39:21]
6. Faith moves while fear is still real. What is one clear next step you may need to take: making a phone call, facing a financial decision, scheduling an appointment, asking for help, or having an honest conversation? [42:47]