David reassured Saul by recounting what had happened with the lion and the bear. Was he boasting? No. David knew how he had won those battles. He said: “Jehovah, who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear, he is the one who will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Resigned at last, Saul responded: “Go, and may Jehovah be with you.”​—1 Samuel 17:37.

Would you like to have faith like David’s? Note, then, that David’s faith was not mere idealism or wishful thinking. He had faith in his God because of knowledge and experience. He knew Jehovah as a loving Protector and a Keeper of promises. If we want to acquire such faith, we need to keep learning about the God of the Bible. As we live by what we learn, we will find that the good results will likewise strengthen our faith.​—Hebrews 11:1.

To this day, David’s response stands as a great statement of faith. Just imagine the young man calling out to Goliath: “You are coming against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I am coming against you in the name of Jehovah of armies, the God of the battle line of Israel, whom you have taunted.” David knew that human power and weaponry mattered little. Goliath had shown disrespect for Jehovah God, and Jehovah would respond. As David put it, “the battle belongs to Jehovah.”​—1 Samuel 17:45-47.

David was not blind to Goliath’s size or his weapons. Yet David refused to let such things daunt him. He did not make the mistake that Saul and the members of his army did. David did not compare himself to Goliath. Instead, he looked at Goliath in comparison with Jehovah. Standing some nine and a half feet (2.9 m) tall, Goliath towered over other men, but how big was he compared to the Sovereign of the universe? Really, like any human, he was barely more than an insect​—in this case, one that Jehovah was ready to exterminate!