One question has been sitting heavy in my spirit this past week:
What do you do, when by all visible evidence, the bully is winning?
I could not shake it off. It followed the current headlines, conversations, and the quiet
moments when hope felt thinner than it should. In divine mercy, God interrupted my plans, and
said, “Close Luke for a moment.” I felt invited to take a ride— and then, returned with fresh
eyes to the Valley of Elah in 1 Samuel 17!

By the end of the ride, the Scripture is clear: this is not a fair fight. Israel had lived under the
Philistine oppression for over forty years—not a rough season but an entire generation had
grown up under it. This was not just military domination; it was a psychological colonization.
The Philistines disarmed Israel. There were no more blacksmiths among the people. Weapons
were not just taken, they were forbidden! Israel could live but not resist the Philistine regime.

So, when the armies gathered, we cannot imagine them as equals. On one hill stood the fully
armed oppressors, led by a giant trained to intimidate. On the other hill stood a weary people
worn down by decades of loss, just trying to survive the day. When Goliath steps forward and
says, “Send me a man,” that is not courage—it is cruelty. And when he mocks David, he is not
just insulting a boy; he is reinforcing a system. That is exactly what was happening in the valley.

Yet wisdom also rises in the valley in three ways:

First, reject the armor. Saul offers David his armor, but Saul had already made a deal that
protected himself while leaving the people exposed. Wisdom knows you cannot defeat the
empire with its own tools. David’s words still matter: “I cannot move in this.” Wisdom is
knowing when something does not fit—not because you are weak, but because it was never
meant for you.

Second, reach for the stones. David goes to the river and chooses smooth stones shaped by
time and pressure. He reaches for what is dependable, not flashy. Wisdom uses what life has
already refined.

Finally, raise the Name. Goliath shouts insults but David raises the testimony. Naming God
becomes an act of resistance. When the bully is loud, we raise the Name—and remind the
giant that it does not get the final word.

So, as we mount our individual hills and peer into the valleys in front of us with giants and
Philistines descending, let us remember to reject, reach, and raise.  Amen.

Your Pastor, Dr. Ron Bell II