I suppose you have heard or read the story of David vs Goliath. [1Samuel 17] The important part here is not that Goliath was a giant, and was undefeatable. In 1 Samuel 17:49-51, David defeats him.
49 Reaching into his bag and taking out a stone, he slung it and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown on the ground.
50 So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone; without a sword in his hand he struck down the Philistine and killed him.
51 David ran and stood over him. He took hold of the Philistine’s sword and drew it from the sheath. After he killed him, he cut off his head with the sword.
Now, while I have jumped to the “end of the story”, there was a lot in the beginning. First, we recognize David was still a shepherd. He was also the youngest of his brothers. The three eldest had already joined the army and were following the king. The Philistines issued a challenge. Send one out to fight our champion and if you win, we will be your servants, but if we win, then you will be ours. Even Saul didn’t want to go out and fight him.
The importance of this is that Saul was king. He should have been the one to stand up and lead by example. However, we see that he and his men “shook” from fear when Goliath issued his challenge. Which he did for 40 days before David came into the picture.
David was young. He was filled with faith and belief in the Lord. He knew the Philistines were nothing that God couldn’t handle, yet everyone around him was afraid. David stepped forward in faith. He volunteered to stand up against an almost 10-foot giant. He knew God was on His side and would help him prevail.
45 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. 46 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. 47 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.”
We all have giants in our lives. We all have something that seems overwhelming, and while history shows a lot of wars that were fought that also had the victors overwhelmed by the invading armies’ numbers, they too prevailed. We need to remember that what God has done for others (David) He will do for us. He is the SAME God today that he was yesterday, and He will be forevermore. This means that we can trust that He will rescue us no matter the situation.
God CAN change the direction we are heading. We can overcome this overwhelming evil that is so prevalent in our society today. How? The Bible tells us we have to first seek God. Are you in a situation where you don’t see a way out? Are our children’s lives important enough to fight for? Should we be standing up for our rights? Do we seek God first? When was the last time you looked into His word to see what it says?
2 Chronicles 7:14 – which I am sure you have read or heard – states:
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
What can one man do? Well, let’s look at David. He loved God. He believed in Him. David was also flawed and failed. Yet, he didn’t allow his failures to guide his life. What he did was constantly seek God. He would ask for forgiveness. The book of Psalms is filled with the praise and failures that David felt. Yet, God saw fit to take a shepherd boy and make him a King. One of the most influential and well-known kings in history. We still talk about him today.
I am not saying that God is going to raise you up to be a king. After all, God knows the plans He has for us and each of us follows a unique path. Sometimes our paths will cross, sometimes we will journey together, yet no matter where God is leading us; He is in charge and will direct our feet.
It is time we get back into the Word. We need to remember what God says. The Bible has all the answers we will ever need or want. From how we are to act, to how we are to protect our homes and families, to who we are to serve. You may face a giant in your life. Just remember, nothing is bigger than God. What He did for the Israelites against the Philistines, He can do for you. Trust Him. Follow Him. Read His Word. Pray. Let Him help you slay the giant. You don’t have to do it alone.