09/04/2026
When You’re In Over Your Head
Have you ever felt like you were “in over your head” on something? You know that feeling—the “What have I gotten myself into?” feeling. Maybe it was a DIY house or car repair project that quickly became much more complicated than you expected. Maybe it was an activity, hike, or sport that you thought you were still young enough to do. Maybe it was a class or a new job that you knew would be challenging but now seems nearly impossible. Or perhaps it was that sinking financial feeling after a big purchase or an unexpected bill. There are many, many times in life when we might feel like we are “in over our heads” and wonder, “What have I gotten myself into?”
How do you think David felt as he looked up at Goliath? He was just a boy—still too young and too small to be a soldier in Israel’s army. In fact, he was there that day simply to bring supplies to his older brothers, who were there to fight the Philistines but were terrified of Goliath. No one wanted to take on that DIY project! No one wanted to stand up to the giant who was mocking God and mocking Israel twice a day, every day, for forty days.
Until David showed up. Essentially, David’s older brother Eliab told him that this fight was way over his head and that he had no idea what he was getting himself into. He said, “I know your pride and the mischief in your heart. You have come down just to see the battle.” (1 Samuel 17:28)
But David was there to do more than just watch. David had already experienced the Lord’s protection. As a shepherd, he had fought a lion and a bear to protect his sheep. But there was something else David knew. He had already been anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel. God had made David a promise, and David trusted that promise. So, when David heard Goliath defying the living God, he was willing to stand up for the Lord’s name. David could trust that the Lord would fulfill His promise and accomplish His will, even though David had no idea exactly how He would do it.
But how do you think his stomach felt as he walked onto the battlefield and heard Goliath curse him and say, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” Then Goliath said, “Come here, and I’ll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field!” (vs.43-44) If there was ever a time to think, “What have I gotten myself into?” this was it. On his own, David didn’t stand a chance. But then again, David knew he wasn’t on his own. When others doubted him, 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.” (37) David had no idea exactly how the Lord was going to deliver him, but he knew one thing for certain: the battle belonged to the Lord! And in that moment, God used a child to defeat a giant.
That is the definition of childlike faith. David wasn't trusting in his own strength, size, skill, or experience. He was trusting in the Lord and His promises. David said to Goliath, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the LORD will hand you over to me… All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s.” (45-47)
David didn't have some extraordinary confidence in himself. He had a simple, childlike confidence in his God. He didn't know exactly how God would deliver him, but he trusted that God would keep His promise. That’s childlike faith: not confidence in ourselves, but complete dependence upon the One who is faithful. The strength of faith isn't found in how strong our faith is, but in the One in whom our faith rests.
David was never really an underdog. David was never truly “in over his head.” This was never a DIY. While Goliath trusted in his armor, his weapons, and his skill, David trusted in the LORD and His promise. David knew that the outcome of this battle ultimately rested in the hands of God.
Interestingly, Israel kept Goliath’s sword—the very sword David used to behead the giant warrior. In fact, a few years later, when David was in need of a weapon, that is the sword the high priest Ahimelech pulled out of storage in the tabernacle (1 Samuel 21:9). Obviously, Goliath’s sword would have been much bigger than David. It would have been extremely difficult for David to wield in battle, but he took it with him anyway, because the battle still belonged to the Lord.
Regardless of who you are, where you live, or how old you are, you enter a battlefield every day. Your enemy, the devil, is constantly looking for ways to tempt, accuse, deceive, and destroy you. You might be just beginning a difficult battle. You might be right in the middle of one. You might even feel like you are nearing the end of a long and exhausting struggle. Yet regardless of where you stand, remember the words God spoke to King Jehoshaphat when Israel face another seemingly impossible enemy: “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20:15). And Paul reminds us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31).
But there is something even greater for us to remember. The battle has already been won. The Son of God threw Himself, body and soul, into the battle on our behalf. He became truly human, like us in every way yet without sin, in order to defeat the enemies we could never defeat on our own—sin, death, and the devil. Jesus went to the cross carrying our sins. He suffered the punishment our sins deserved. He died our death. And then He rose from the grave in victory over the one enemy that had never been defeated—death itself. And now, His victory is our victory. Regardless of what you face on a day-to-day basis, through faith in Christ, heaven already belongs to you. That’s God’s promise to you!
So when you find yourself feeling like you are “in over your head,” don't look only at yourself. If you do, you may have plenty of reasons to wonder, “How can I possibly get through this?” Instead, look to Christ. Look to the cross. Look to the empty tomb. Look to the Savior who has already defeated your greatest enemies. This is why Martin Luther once said, “When I look at myself I don’t see how I can be saved. But when I look at Christ I don’t see how I can be lost!”
That is childlike faith. It doesn't mean we never become afraid. It doesn't mean we understand everything God is doing. It doesn't mean we have some extraordinary strength within ourselves. It simply means that we cling to the One who has promised to save us. The strength of our faith is not found in ourselves; it is found in Christ.
Christ has already won the battle for us. The victory is His—and through faith in Him, the victory is ours.
The battle belongs to the Lord—always has, always will.
So, Expect Hope Ahead!
