Relationships are more challenging than religion hence why most people like to move God into the religious section rather than the relationship section. Religion tells us about God and what He is like and what He likes, relationship helps to know God, experience God and know his heart.

In our story we are told that for forty days Goliath woke up in the morning and challenged the people of God to a duel and not one of the kings fighting men or the kings or any of the priest who taught about the God of Israel and his great deeds of the past, rescuing Israel from Egypt and bringing them into the promised land was able to stand up for God and fight for his people. Sadly that is what religion does, knowledge without any experience of God

If all you have is religion when the giants of this life arrive then unfortunately those giants become the focus point rather than the God of heaven. David’s experience of God enabled him to move beyond the borders of religion into the fruitful ground of relationship with God that is why he could declare But David persisted. “I have been taking care of my father’s sheep and goats,” he said. “When a lion or a bear comes to steal a lamb from the flock, I go after it with a club and rescue the lamb from its mouth. If the animal turns on me, I catch it by the jaw and club it to death. I have done this to both lions and bears, and I’ll do it to this pagan Philistine, too, for he has defied the armies of the living God! The Lord who rescued me from the claws of the lion and the bear will rescue me from this Philistine!” 1 Samuel 17:34-37