Hope for the Underdog

September 24, 2025

When unlikely characters overcome amazing odds, it gives us hope. The underdog gives us hope.

At some point, we all encounter moments in life that feel far too big for us to handle alone. The weight of the world can press in, and no matter how strong we try to be, it becomes clear: we’re not meant to carry everything ourselves.

Life is full of daunting challenges and uphill struggles, isn’t it?

• Parenting children can feel endlessly overwhelming — no manual, no pause button.

• Living through global crises like pandemics can stretch us far beyond our limits.

• Balancing careers, relationships, and family often feels like a juggling act with no break.

• Trying to grow spiritually and overcome personal struggles or destructive habits takes real endurance.

• Aging brings its own set of battles — facing health problems, slowing bodies, and the fear of losing independence.

• Losing loved ones reminds us how fragile life is — and how deeply we long for comfort, healing, and hope.

  
  

We cheer for the underdog because, somehow, we feel like if they can win, so can we.

The Bible is full of stories of characters who, against all odds, experience victory. One of those stories is David and Goliath.

David arrives at the front lines to check on his brothers who are fighting in the Israelite army. It is at that point that he gets the first real look at what the Israelite army was facing.

This threat is a massive man named Goliath. Goliath was a decorated warrior from Philistine. He struck fear into the hearts of all who saw him. He was a giant. He was terrifying. The whole of the Israelite army was paralyzed with fear.

No one was willing to take on this giant. However, someone must do something, and David is willing to take that on.

What causes a young boy, an underdog, to take on such a mountainous task?

• Hope. Hope that he will not fight this battle alone.

• Hope. Hope that with God’s help there is nothing that is impossible.

• Hope. Hope that what little he has to offer is enough.

  
  

While others saw Goliath as too big to defeat, David saw him as too big to miss.

While others focused on their size compared to the nine-foot Goliath, David focused on comparing Goliath’s size to God.

David’s reasoning for this hope comes from God’s faithfulness in the past. God was with him when he was protecting sheep in the field from lions and bears, surely the Lord would protect him now as well.

When we find ourselves in seasons of struggle, sometimes we must remind ourselves of how God has been with us in the past. Hope is a derivative of trust. When we believe that something or someone is trustworthy, it gives us hope.

It is like a child who plays with his father in the pool. I have watched as a little boy or girl launch themselves from the side of the pool into the deep end as their parent treads water. There is no fear. There is no concern. There is only trust in the father or mother’s love to catch them as they have in the past. They are hopeful that though they will splash into the water, their parent will keep their head above water.

David said to the Philistine, “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 deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 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.”

-I Samuel 17:45-47

David calls upon God as he engages Goliath on the battlefield. With a single stone, a precise throw, and the power of God, David’s shot flies straight and true and connects with Goliath’s forehead. The giant falls to the ground, dead.

This single victory turns the tide of the entire war. The Philistines run, and the Israelites pursue. Suddenly, the once frightened Israelite army is emboldened by a little boy and his sling. Because of David’s bravery and trust in God, they are all given hope that they too can be a part of the triumph of God.

Hope Is Contagious

When hope in God rises, the entire story shifts. The tone changes. The atmosphere transforms. What once sounded like defeat becomes a song of victory. One person’s bold decision to trust God in the face of overwhelming odds can ignite something far bigger than themselves.

Because hope is contagious. It spreads.

• It can begin with just one person in the church who believes God can bring healing to broken families.

• It might be someone who sees potential in mentoring young people and refuses to give up on the next generation.

• Maybe it’s someone who has a burden for the local schools and starts praying regularly for students and teachers.

• Or someone who believes God could use a simple community meal to create space for gospel conversations and real friendships.

• It might even be someone quietly battling illness or grief, who chooses each day to trust God anyway — and becomes a powerful example to others walking through pain.

Nelson Mandela once said, “Hope is a powerful weapon, and no one power on earth can deprive you of it.”

Look to God to give you the strength to endure what feels impossible, to stand tall when the pressure mounts, and to live with expectant faith.

Live each day with hope because even when life looks uncertain, even when the way forward looks invisible, hope says, “God is still working. We are not alone.”