How Will Faith in Christ Make a Difference in My Life?

My Come Follow Me studies for this week took me to 1 Samuel 17-18; 24-26; 2 Samuel 5-7 in a lesson titled “The Battle Is the Lord’s.” The lesson following information introduced the lesson. 

Ever since the tribes of Israel had settled in the promised land, the Philistines had been an ongoing threat to their safety. The Lord had delivered them many times in the past, but now the elders of Israel demanded, “We will have a king … [to] go out before us, and fight our battles” (1 Samuel 8:19-20)). So, Saul was anointed king. And yet when the menacing giant Goliath hurled his challenge to the armies of Israel, Saul—like the rest of his army—was “greatly afraid” (1 Samuel 17:11). On that day, it wasn’t King Saul who saved Israel, but a humble shepherd boy named David, who was wearing no armor but was clothed with impenetrable faith in the Lord. This battle proved to Israel, and to anyone who has spiritual battles to fight, that “the Lord saveth not with sword and spear” and that “the battle is the Lord’s” (1 Samuel 17:47).

The scripture block contains numerous principles, including (1) With the help of the Lord, I can overcome any challenge (1 Samuel 17); (2) One person with faith in Christ can make a difference (1 Samuel 17:26-50); (3) “Jonathan loved [David] as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18);

(4) Forgiveness is the sure path to peace and healing (1 Samuel 24-26); (5) The Lord can give me direction (2 Samuel 5:17-25), and (6) What is the “house” the Lord promised to David?

(2 Samuel 7.

This post will discuss principle # 2 about one person with faith in Christ can make a difference. In addition to personal challenges, we also face large, complex problems that affect the whole world. When forces of evil are “gathered together … to battle” against the forces of good

(1 Samuel 17:1), we might wonder how our individual efforts could possibly make a difference.

This scripture reference (1 Samuel 17:26-50) tells the story of David and Goliath. David’s father sent him to take food for his brothers who were serving in the army. When he arrived, there was a giant named Goliath threatening the Israelites, and no man in the Israelite army wanted to fight the giant. David volunteered to fight him, and King Saul offered to loan him his personal armor. David declined and went to fight Goliath with a sling shot and five stones. The applicable verses are as follows:

45 Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

46 This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

47 And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.

48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

49 And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

David took five smooth stones in his pouch to fight Goliath. What do we carry with us to fight the giants in our lives? Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, referred to the story of David and Goliath in her talk in the April 2024 General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

While David used only one stone to kill Goliath, he was prepared with five. With five! This makes me think about how I can prepare myself to face the world.

What if each of David’s stones represented a strength we need to be triumphant in our lives? What could those five stones be? I thought of these possibilities: …

First, the stone of my love for God. Loving God is the first great commandment. The For the Strength of Youth guide teaches us: “God loves you. He is your Father. His perfect love can inspire you to love Him. When your love for Heavenly Father is the most important influence in your life, many decisions become easier.”

Our love for God and our close relationship with Him give us the strength we need to transform our hearts and more easily overcome our challenges.

Second, the stone of my faith in our Savior, Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ came to earth, He suffered for our sins, and He took upon Himself our sorrows, our pains, our weaknesses, and our physical and mental illnesses. That’s why He knows how to help us. Having faith in Jesus Christ means to fully trust His wisdom, His timing, His love, and His power to atone for our sins. The stone of faith in Jesus Christ will defeat any “giant” in our lives. We can overcome this fallen world because He overcame it first.

Number three, the stone of the knowledge of my true identity. Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, taught us that our most important identities are as children of God, children of the covenant, and disciples of Jesus Christ.

Everything changes when I know who I really am. When I doubt my abilities, I often repeat to myself in my mind or out loud, “I am a daughter of God, I am a daughter of God,” as many times as I need until I again feel confident to keep going.

Fourth, the stone of my daily repentance. In the For the Strength of Youth guide, we read: “Repentance isn’t punishment for sin; it is the way the Savior frees us from sin. To repent means to change―to turn away from sin and toward God. It means to improve and receive forgiveness. This kind of change is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process.”

Nothing is more liberating than feeling God’s forgiveness and knowing that we are clean and reconciled with Him. Forgiveness is possible for everyone.

The fifth stone is the stone of my access to God’s power. The covenants we make with God, such as those we make in the ordinance of baptism, give us access to the power of godliness. God’s power is a real power that helps us face challenges, make good decisions, and increase our capacity to endure difficult situations. It is a power with which we can grow in the specific abilities that we need.

The For the Strength of Youth guide explains: “Covenants connect you to Heavenly Father and the Savior. They increase God’s power in your life” (“Faithful to the End,” emphasis added.).