1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NIV) ~ “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty… 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, and he will give all of you into our hands.”
When David stood before Goliath, he was facing an opponent that appeared impossible to defeat. The giant possessed military training, physical strength, experience, and intimidating weapons. David possessed none of those advantages. Yet David carried something greater. Long before he ever stepped into the Valley of Elah, he had spent time with God in hidden places. The fields where he worshiped became preparation for the battlefield where he would stand. The private victories over the lion and the bear prepared him for the public victory over the giant.
David did not arrive at the battle hoping God would help him. He arrived knowing God would help him because he had already experienced God’s faithfulness in secret. The battle may have been public, but the confidence was developed privately. His courage was born in relationship. His faith was strengthened through prayer. His trust was established through previous encounters with God. Before David ever released the stone, the victory had already been established in his heart.
This is the lesson of the ram’s charge. The charge is not reckless movement. It is confident movement after preparation. It is action rooted in prayer. It is obedience supported by faith. It is strength developed through surrender.
As you arrive at the final day of this journey, it is important to remember that the ram’s charge is not where the story begins. The charge is where the preparation becomes visible. Throughout this series, you have learned that before the ram raises its head, it lowers it. Before the battle comes prayer. Before the stand comes surrender. Before the victory comes preparation. The charge is simply the outward evidence of what has already been happening internally. In the same way, the victories people see in your life are often the result of prayers they never witnessed, tears they never saw, and moments with God they never experienced. Public strength is usually born in private surrender.
Day One taught you the importance of lowering your head before you lift your hands. You learned that prayer is not weakness but positioning. The world often teaches people to rely upon their own strength, but God teaches you to seek His strength first. Like Jesus in Gethsemane, you discovered that heaven often provides strength before the battle arrives. Every moment spent on your knees became preparation for the moments when you would need to stand. You learned that bowing before God is not surrendering to defeat. It is positioning yourself for victory. The ram lowers its head before the charge because it understands where strength is gathered. Believers lower their heads because they understand where strength comes from.
Day Two revealed that strength is gathered in secret. The hidden place became the training ground for the public assignment. You learned that some of God’s greatest work happens where nobody else can see it. Just as roots develop beneath the surface before fruit appears above the ground, spiritual strength is developed privately before it becomes visible publicly. The prayers whispered in quiet moments, the Scriptures studied before sunrise, and the tears shed in God’s presence all became part of your preparation. The secret place was never wasted time. It was investment time. Every hidden encounter was strengthening your foundation for future battles.
Day Three taught you that the battle is often won before it begins. Jehoshaphat showed you that prayer changes the atmosphere before circumstances change. You discovered that faith does not wait until victory is visible before trusting God. Faith trusts Him because of who He is. The enemy wants you to focus on the size of the obstacle, but prayer shifts your attention toward the greatness of God. Before Judah ever reached the battlefield, God was already working. Before the conflict became visible, heaven was already moving. You learned that prayer prepares your heart, strengthens your faith, and positions you under God’s authority before the challenge ever arrives.
Day Four reminded you that eventually there comes a time to raise your head and take your stand. Prayer prepares you, but obedience positions you. The strength gathered in God’s presence was never intended to remain hidden. It was intended to be used. You learned that courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to move forward despite fear. God does not strengthen you merely so you can feel encouraged. He strengthens you so you can obey. Every promise received in prayer eventually requires a response of faith. The ram raises its head because preparation has been completed. Believers rise from prayer because God is calling them to move.
Now you arrive at the charge. The charge represents the moment when faith becomes action. It represents the moment when preparation becomes movement. It represents the moment when prayer becomes obedience. This is where many believers hesitate. They are willing to pray, but they struggle to move. They are willing to believe, but they struggle to act. Yet faith was never intended to remain stationary. Faith walks. Faith moves. Faith obeys. Faith trusts God enough to take the next step even when the entire path is not visible. The ram does not charge because it has removed every risk. It charges because it has prepared itself for what lies ahead.
David provides one of the clearest examples of this principle. He did not simply talk about God’s faithfulness. He acted upon it. He did not merely believe that God could help him. He stepped onto the battlefield believing God would help him. There is a significant difference between believing something in theory and acting upon it in reality. Prayer builds the bridge between belief and action. Every encounter with God increases your confidence to obey Him. Every moment spent in His presence strengthens your willingness to trust Him. Prayer transforms faith from a concept into a conviction.
The charge also teaches you that confidence and arrogance are not the same thing. Arrogance trusts in self. Confidence trusts in God. David was confident, but he was not arrogant. He knew exactly where his strength came from. He knew that the battle belonged to the Lord. The ram’s charge is powerful because it is rooted in preparation. Likewise, your confidence becomes powerful when it is rooted in God’s faithfulness. You are not moving forward because you have all the answers. You are moving forward because you know the One who does.
Another lesson hidden within the ram’s charge is commitment. Once the ram begins moving, it does not continually second-guess its direction. It commits itself to the charge. Spiritually, there are moments when God calls you to move forward without constantly revisiting the decision. The enemy often attempts to create doubt after God has already given direction. He whispers questions designed to undermine confidence. Yet prayer has already prepared you for this moment. The wisdom received in God’s presence becomes an anchor when uncertainty attempts to arise. What God confirmed in prayer should not be abandoned in fear.
The charge also reminds you that God never intended for you to spend your entire life preparing. Preparation has purpose, but purpose requires action. Noah eventually entered the ark. Moses eventually stood before Pharaoh. Joshua eventually crossed the Jordan. Esther eventually approached the king. Peter eventually stepped out of the boat. Every one of them experienced a moment when preparation gave way to movement. Your life contains those moments as well. There are assignments to fulfill, conversations to have, ministries to launch, books to write, businesses to start, prayers to pray, and people to encourage. God prepares you so that you can participate in His purpose.
Perhaps the most beautiful truth of all is that the charge does not happen alone. The same God who met you in prayer goes with you into the battle. The same God who strengthened you in secret walks with you in public. The same God who encouraged you on your knees stands beside you when you rise. You are never moving forward by yourself. Romans 8:31 asks a powerful question: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” That does not mean challenges disappear. It means God’s presence outweighs every challenge.
As you reflect on this entire series, remember the journey. You lowered your head before God. You gathered strength in secret. You learned that the battle is won before it begins. You raised your head and took your stand. Now you move forward in faith. The ram’s charge is not reckless movement. It is prepared movement. It is focused movement. It is confident movement. It is faith-filled movement. Prayer has prepared you. God’s Word has strengthened you. His presence has sustained you. His promises have anchored you. His Spirit has equipped you.
Now it is time to move. Not because the battle is absent. Not because the obstacles are gone. Not because every answer has been revealed. But because God is with you. And when God is with you, you are ready.
Let’s Pray:
Father, today I thank You for every lesson You have taught me throughout this journey. Thank You for teaching me how to lower my head before You, gather strength in Your presence, trust You before the battle, and stand in faith when challenges arise. Thank You that every moment spent with You has prepared me for the assignments ahead. Help me never forget the importance of prayer as the foundation of victory. Lord, thank You for the secret place where You strengthened me. Thank You for every prayer You heard, every tear You collected, and every moment You met me in my weakness. Remind me that hidden seasons are never wasted. Continue drawing me deeper into relationship with You and help me remain faithful in private before seeking influence in public. Father, thank You for fighting battles I could never win alone. Thank You for going before me, standing beside me, and surrounding me with Your presence. Help me trust that You are working even when I cannot immediately see the results. Let faith remain stronger than fear and confidence remain rooted in Your promises. Lord, give me courage to obey when You call me forward. Remove hesitation, doubt, and insecurity. Help me move with confidence whenever You provide direction. Teach me to trust Your voice above every competing voice and Your wisdom above every human opinion. Let obedience become my natural response to Your leading. Father, help me remember that preparation always has a purpose. When future seasons of waiting come, help me trust the process. When future challenges arise, help me remember Your faithfulness. Let every lesson from this journey remain deeply rooted within my heart. Strengthen me to remain faithful in every season. Lord, protect me from pride and self-reliance. Remind me that every victory comes from You. Keep my confidence rooted in Your strength rather than my own abilities. Let humility remain my posture and gratitude remain my response. Teach me to give You glory for everything You accomplish through my life. Father, strengthen me for every assignment attached to my calling. Equip me with wisdom for decisions, courage for challenges, discernment for opportunities, and endurance for long seasons. Let me walk faithfully in every responsibility You entrust to me. Help me honor You with my life, my words, and my actions. Lord, thank You that I never move forward alone. Thank You that Your presence accompanies me into every meeting, every challenge, every opportunity, and every battle. Let the reality of Your presence become greater than every obstacle standing before me. Help me remember that You are always with me. Father, teach me how to walk by faith and not by sight. When answers are incomplete, help me trust You. When the path is unclear, help me trust You. When circumstances seem uncertain, help me trust You. Let my confidence rest in Your character and not in changing situations. Lord, help me finish well. Give me perseverance when the journey becomes difficult. Give me courage when opposition appears. Give me strength when I grow weary. Let me remain committed to the purpose You have placed upon my life. Help me stay focused on Your calling and faithful to Your assignment. Father, today I choose to move forward. I choose faith over fear. I choose obedience over hesitation. I choose trust over doubt. Thank You for preparing me, strengthening me, equipping me, and positioning me. As I move into the next season, let me do so with confidence, knowing that the God who prepared me will also sustain me. In Jesus Christ Mighty Name, Amen.
As I bring this devotional series to a close, I am reminded of a personal experience that has stayed with me for more than twenty years.
One evening, my dear friend, Cynthia Chesterfield, and I were standing near the back of the Southern University campus praying. We both had different prayer requests. We both were carrying different burdens. We both were believing God for different outcomes. Yet there was one thing we had in common. We both needed what I now call a “ram in the bush” moment. We needed God to intervene. We needed God to provide. We needed God to make a way where we could not see one.
As we stood there praying, surrendering our concerns to God, I noticed the beauty of the evening sky. The sunset was breathtaking. Wanting to capture the moment, I lifted my camera and took what I believed was a simple photograph of the sunset. At the time, I thought I was preserving a beautiful scene in nature. I had no idea that God was about to leave me with a visual reminder that would remain with me for decades.
When I later looked at the photograph, I was completely amazed. The image did not simply look like a sunset. What appeared in the photograph looked like the head of a ram. I stared at it in disbelief. The more I looked, the more clearly I could see it. In that moment, I felt as though God was speaking directly to my heart. It was as if He was reminding me that He had heard every word we prayed. He saw every concern we carried. He understood every burden we brought before Him.
That photograph became much more than a picture. It became a promise. It became a reminder. It became testimony. For more than twenty years, I have carried that picture with me as a reminder that when I surrender everything to God in prayer, He always provides what I need. He may not answer the way I expect. He may not move according to my timetable. He may not provide in the package I imagined. Yet He remains Jehovah Jireh, the Lord who provides.
Just as Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket that God had already prepared, I have learned that God often has provision waiting before I ever see the need. What feels impossible to me is already known by Him. What feels overwhelming to me is already under His control. What feels uncertain to me is already settled in heaven.
That picture of the ram has become a personal reminder that prayer changes everything. It reminds me that before every battle, I can lower my head before God. It reminds me that before every challenge, I can enter His presence. It reminds me that before every difficult season, I can trust His provision.
Most of all, it reminds me that when I surrender everything to God, He provides my ram in the bush. And just as He did it then, He is still doing it now. He remains faithful. He remains present. He remains Provider. He remains God. And He will provide exactly what you need when you trust Him with everything.
Nugget ~ The ram’s charge is not about reckless strength; it is about prepared strength. Prayer gathered what you needed, God’s presence strengthened what was weak, and faith now releases what He placed inside of you. The battle may still be ahead, but you are not the same person who started this journey. You prayed, you prepared, you stood, and now you are ready to move.
Blessings…
Love, Dr. Jean…
Have A Great Weekend…
Photograph: Property and courtesy of Dr. Jean Stepter-Gray
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