This is part of the 40 days and 40 nights series.

The Bible states that the champion of the Philistines, Goliath of Gath, taunted the Israelites, and defied the armies of the living God (1 Samuel 17:26, 36) and God himself (1 Samuel 17:45), for a period of forty days, both morning (day) and evening (night) (1 Samuel 17:16), until David, the shepherd boy, responded to the call to fight and went against him in the name of the LORD of armies (1 Samuel 17:45). David defeated the taunter and put an end to the taunting that had gone on for forty days.

Points to ponder:
There may be many taunters in our life, some of which are life’s circumstances while others  are people, that taunt us and defy the LORD of hosts, whom we worship and serve. Like David, can each one of us, who are part of God’s army, respond to the call to fight and go against our taunters in the name of the LORD. The time of taunting may seem long, but it will come to an end, when God’s people rise up against the taunting and respond in the LORD’s name. Are you and I going to get up and go in God’s name to put an end to the time of taunting?

1 Samuel 17:4-10, 16,26,36, 45, 48-51 (KJV)
4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us.
10 And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.
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16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.
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26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
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36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
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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.
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48 And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, 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.
50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.
51 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.