FACING YOUR GIANT
“Don’t be ridiculous!” Saul replied. “There’s no way you can fight this Philistine and possibly win! You’re only a boy, and he’s been a man of war since his youth.” 1 Samuel 17:33 (NLT).
Goliath had threatened Israel for 40 days. David arrives on the scene and is determined to fight Goliath. He engages some soldiers who had direct access to Saul, the King of Israel, in conversation. The soldiers took it upon themselves to let the King know that someone was enquiring about taking up the challenge to fight Goliath. After 40 straight days of Goliath’s taunts, King Saul was desperate enough to try anything and anyone.
Saul had an entire army that was petrified, yet the 17-year-old shepherd boy was fearless. He knew that God was with him. As David stood before the King, Saul looked at him and said, “You don’t have a chance against this man, he has been a fighter from his youth”. This was where “the rubber hit the road”. David had a choice to make. Either he was going to believe what Saul said or what he knew God would do.
Many believers, especially after an inspiring ‘crossover’ service, start out the new year with faith and determination, but then, in comes the barrage of negative reports. It may be about the downturn of the economy, some family problems, maybe some difficulty at work or some other issue. This is where faith goes out the window because we begin to focus on the problems around us and allow discouragement to slip in. Maybe you are one of those constantly anticipating bad news. You live in dread of what could go wrong next. Perhaps you are one of those who pick up your phone calls afraid of what you might hear. Or you are constantly anxious about your children or loved ones, always fearing some negative news concerning them. You may be someone who panics about situations you feel you have no control over. David was bombarded with negative news about Goliath, yet he chose to remain fearless.
David countered Saul’s negativity with his personal testimony of how God delivered him from the lion and the bear. His past victories became a platform from where he could launch into his future success. It was the power of David’s testimony that paved the way for him and made Saul say, “Go ahead, and may the Lord be with you!”.
To-do List
- To overcome fear, you have to overcome discouragement. David chose to ignore the threats of Goliath, the discouraging words from his brother, Eliab and from King Saul. Shift your focus away from negative comments and look to God’s faithfulness.
- Establish some ‘mental altars’. Whenever God did something mighty for Israel, they built an altar as a reminder of God’s faithfulness. Generations later, they would visit that altar. David reminded himself of how God delivered him from the lion and the bear. These mental altars provided him the encouragement he needed for this fight. What has God already done for you?
- God wants you to be fearless. The little shepherd boy anointed by God did the seemingly impossible and ran towards Goliath. Take a step of faith today regardless of the Goliath facing you. Get your sling and stone, God will give you the victory.
Prayer
Lord, I overcome discouragement and fear. I know how good you have been to me. You have kept me thus far, and I know you will preserve me in the days ahead.
Further Study
Hebrews 11:32-34 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+11%3A+32-34+&version=NKJV
Joshua 1:8-9 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua+1%3A+8-9&version=NKJV
1 Samuel 17:20-58 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+samuel+17%3A20+-58&version=NKJV
Song
Cheta