Notice David was called a mighty valiant man and a man of war before he ever stepped up to fight Goliath.
Prior to this statement, David's job was to tend his father's sheep. At some point, a lion and a bear came to steal one of the lamb's under his care. David did not sit helplessly by. He sprang to it's rescue and struck the lion and delivered the lamb out of its mouth. The lion turned to attack David, but David grabbed it by its beard and killed both the lion and the bear.
Perhaps these were two separate instances or perhaps they happened at the same moment. Either way, David showed great courage and bravery as he killed both a lion and a bear that came after the helpless sheep.
David gave all credit to God as he explained later on to Saul that it was GOD who delivered him. He trusted God to protect him just as he was protecting those lambs. (1 Sam 17:34-37)
His courage and bravery were noticed and word was spread to King Saul that he was a man of war. (Perhaps it was by other shepherds who may have witnessed what transpired between David and the lion and bear?)
I wonder if when he did step up to face Goliath, those who knew his past had hope that God may possibly work a miracle of deliverance through this young man again for the good of Israel.
God did use David to deliver all of Israel from the hands of the Philistines. And later, he became King over all Israel. (Although he was anointed to be King before he came to play the harp before King Saul and before he fought with Goliath)
But none of this would have happened if David had not spent those solitary hours in the field with the sheep praying and writing songs of worship to the Most High. David had a relationship with God. And because of that, it was said of him by God that he was a man after God's own heart. (Acts 13:22-23)
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